Journalof Tourismand Services

Volume VI

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Imprint

Title Journal of Tourism and ServicesPublished by Vysoká škola obchodní v Praze, o. p. s., Spálená 14, 110 00 Praha1

www.vso-praha.euDesigned and printed by Tiskařské služby Rudolf Valenta, Geologická 2, 152 00 Praha 5ISSN 1804-5650

Journal of Tourism and Services is an international reviewed scientific research journal, published bythe University College of Business in Prague since September 17, 2010 that publishes high quality,reviewed essays and analytical papers in English language with focus on tourism and service industrydevelopment. Together with scientific part and in order to promote the exchange of current andinnovative ideas, the Journal also includes Reviews of Existing Work or Short Essays, Research Notes,and Research and Industry sections to address important topics and advance theoretical knowledge orthinking about key areas of tourism and services. The papers are approved by the Editorial Board andare blind peer reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Each issue will also seek to include shorter non peerreviewed reviews of existing work or short essays aimed at stimulating debate, research notes to allowresearchers to present initial findings and reflections or problems concerning fieldwork and research ingeneral. The Journal is intended for international professionals, academics and students not only forreading but also as a space for publication and source of information for work. The Journal is publishedtwice a year.

No part of this journal may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system, withoutpermission from authors.

The Journal of Tourism & Services is included on EBSCO database called Hospitality & TourismComplete.The Journal of Tourism & Services is included to the database of the Research Development andInnovation Council, advisory body to the Government of the Czech Republic called "Seznamrecenzovaných neimpaktovaných periodik vydávaných v České republice”.

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Editorial Board

Chair of Editorial BoardDoc. Ing. Alžbeta Kiráľová, PhDUniversity College of Business in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Editorial Board MembersDr. Ehsanul Huda ChowdhuryUniversity of Gävle, Gävle, SwedenFrancisco Dias, PhDPolytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, PortugalDr. Erdogan H. EkizKing Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaDr. John FongThe Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Dubai, UAEDoc. Ing. Mojmír Helísek, CSc.University of Finance and Administration, Prague, Czech RepublicProf. Ing. Richard Hindls, CSc.University of Economics, Prague, Czech RepublicDr. Hiromi KamataShukutoku University, Fujikubo, JapanDr. Androniki KavouraTechnological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, GreeceIng. Petra Koudelková, PhDCharles University, Prague, Czech RepublicDr. Philip LongBournemouth University, Bournemouth, United KingdomProf. Antonio MagliuloRome University of International Studies, Rome, ItalyDoc. Ing. Andrej Malachovský, PhDMatej Bel University, Faculty of Economics, Banská Bystrica, SlovakiaProf. Sabine MarschallSchool of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaProf. Salvatore MessinaEurope Foundation, Tirana, AlbaniaProf. Dr. Harald PechlanerKatholische Universität, Eichstätt, Ingolstadt, GermanyDoc. Ing. Jindřich Ploch, CSc.University College of Business in Prague, Prague, Czech RepublicProf. Mike RobinsonIronbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage, Universityof Birmingham, United KingdomProf. Claude SobryUniversity Lille Northern France (Lille 2), Lille, FranceDoc. Ing. Ivo Straka, CSc.University College of Business in Prague, Prague, Czech RepublicDr. Edith M. SzivasUniversity of West London, United KingdomDoc. Ing. Stanislav Šaroch, PhDUniversity of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic

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Prof. Ing. Dr. Róbert Štefko, PhDUniversity of Prešov in Prešov, Prešov, SlovakiaProf. Amitabh Upadhya, PhDSkyline University College, Sharjah, UAEDr. Fanny VongInstitute for Tourism Studies, Macao SAR, ChinaDr. Paul WilliamsStaffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United KingdomProf. Ing. Milan Žák, CSc.College of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech RepublicAssociated Members to Editorial BoardIng. Eva MráčkováAssociation of Czech Tour Operators and Travel Agencies, Prague,Czech RepublicPhDr. et Mgr. Hana RomováUniversity college of Business in Prague, Czech RepublicViliam SivekAssociation of Czech Travel Agents, Prague, Czech RepublicPhDr. Stanislav VolemanAssociation of Guides of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech RepublicIng. Klára ZachariášováThe Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Prague, Czech Republic

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Table of Content

Editorial (Alžbeta Kiráľová) ............................................................................. 5

Scientific Papers

Iveta Hamarneh: Tourism in Jordan – Current Situationand Future Development .............................................................................. 7

Ákos Kátay: The Causes and Behavior-altering Effectsof Hotel Guests’ Dissatisfaction ................................................................ 28

Marie Štěpánková, Šárka Bendová, Metodi Koralov:The Case of Research Aspects Arising from Employee Satisfactionand Engagement for the Benefit of the Employer...................................... 48

Short Essay

Nikola Naumov: Heritage and Tourism: Reconceptualisation .................... 60of the Past as an Experience

Industry News.............................................................................................. 66

Press Releases ............................................................................................. 73

Papers in this issue have been reviewed by:Dr. Suleiman A. D. Farajat, The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanDoc. Ing. Alžbeta Kiráľová, PhD, University College of Business in Prague,Prague, Czech RepublicDoc. Ing. Andrej Malachovský, Ph.D., Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica,SlovakiaMgr. Pavel Neset, Ph.D., University College of Business in Prague, Prague,Czech Republic

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Editorial

The present issue of the Journal of Tourism and Services containsscientific papers, short essay, industry news and press releases.

The contributions to this issue are authored by researchers andscholars from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Great Britain and Hungary.

Ákos Kátay´s paper aims to explore – using the SERVQUAL model –which characteristic of the services provided by hotels or which behaviorof the service provider leads to a dissatisfied hotel guest.

Marie Štěpánková, Šárka Bendová and Metodi Koralov deals in theirpaper with gender deviations between satisfaction and engagement ofemployees in the industrial corporation. Although this research resultsdisplay practical implications especially in the industrial company andnon-managerial job positions, the findings and conclusions can be appliedin a generalized form to every field of business, including tourism industryand related service sectors, as well. Simultaneously, it can be explicitlyrewarding at the human resource management – primarily, at theexploitation of the full employees potentials, and at the optimization ofthe correlations established among the corporate entity– management –employee.

The short essay of Nikola Naumov explores the changing theoreticalconceptualizations of heritage and heritage tourism. The paper arguesthat heritage tourism has undergone an ontological expansion during thelast few decades and now focuses more on the way we experience heritagesites rather than static consumption of heritage resources.

I would also like to welcome the new members of the Editorial Boardand express the belief that our collaboration will be successful and willlead to further improvement of the Journal.

Last but not least I would like to wish to all members of the Editorialboard, present and future authors, supporters, colleagues, and readersa Merry Christmas and a Successful New Year!

Alžbeta KiráľováChair of the Editorial Board

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Scientific Papers

Tourism in Jordan – Current Situationand Future Development

Iveta Hamarneh

University College of Business in Prague,Czech Republic

Abstract

Paper focuses on Jordan as a tourism destination. Jordan would like to increasetourism development because tourism acts as an engine for development throughforeign exchange earnings and the creation of direct and indirect employment.Tourism in Jordan employs 20,2 % of the population overall and brings in 23,3 %of GDP (total contribution). Jordan can be very successful destination thanks toits political stability, religious toleration, a higher quality of life, better healthcareand education compared with surrounding areas, exquisite cuisine, friendly andwelcoming people.

Key words: Global Peace Index, Jordan, Tourism Development

JEL Classification: Z3

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Tourism is one of the strongest drivers of world trade and prosperity. Inmany countries, tourism acts as an engine for development throughforeign exchange earnings and the creation of direct and indirectemployment. Tourism contributes 5 % of the world´s GDP. It accounts for6 % of the world´s exports in services being the fourth largest export sectorafter fuels, chemicals and automotive products. Tourism is responsiblefor 235 million jobs or one in every 12 jobs worldwide. Internationaltourist arrivals increased by 4.3 % in 2014, reaching a total 1 133 millionafter topping the billion mark in 2012.

Tourist income is vital for many areas of the historic Middle East, withthe advantages of a long background of early settlement and culturaldevelopment, a basis of European culture. Politically unstable Egypt and

1Upper-middle-income economies (GNI between $4,126 to $ 12,735)

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the original “fertile crescent” countries of Syria, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon fallinto this interesting developing world group.

Jordan has been occupied continuously through centuries of nomads,prophets, Silk Road merchants, Romans, their Byzantine successors,Arabs, Christian crusaders and Ottoman Turks. In the present 2015political situation where this tourism market is threatened by today´ssurrounding unrest, Jordan stands out strategically in the core of theregion as a safe, secure destination with a stable, almost democratizedHashemite Kingdom ruled by King Abdallah II. since 1999.

Economically Jordan would like to increase tourism development,because of its political stability, religious toleration, a higher quality oflife, better healthcare and education compared with surrounding areas,cosmopolitanism, exquisite cuisine, friendly and welcoming people,together with a reasonably liberal social and economic environment, itis called by the World Bank „an upper middle income country“1. [3]Jordan belongs to the small group of developing countries which enjoyboth the continuous development commitment of their politicalleadership over many years, and considerable administrative stability.Tourism in many developing (and least developed) countries (also inJordan) is the most viable and sustainable economic developmentoption, and in some countries, the main source of foreign exchangeearnings.

1.2 Paper Objectives and Hypotheses

The main focus of the paper is to evaluate current situation and outlinethe future development of tourism in Jordan. To have a proper idea aboutthe issue the paper includes the following aspects as follows:� to understand current situation in Jordanian tourism sector;� to evaluate the importance of the tourism sector on the national

economy;� to focus on the future development of tourism sector in Jordan.Hypotheses:H1: Tourism is the most important sector in Jordanian economy.H2: There is a negative impact of the Arab Spring on the number of touristarrivals.H3: Jordan is one of the safest destionation in the Middle East.H4: There are very limited tourism resources in Jordan (thanks to thesmall area of the country).

1.3 Research Methods

For the present paper the data has been collected from both primaryand secondary sources. The primary data has been collected from

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interviews with representatives of tourism sector in Jordan and fromresearch which was carried out in January and February 2013 (299respondents). Given the paper objectives listed above, following questionswere asked in the interviews with the experts on tourism in Jordan:1. Could you evaluate how the tourism in Jordan was influenced by the

Arab Spring? (from December 2010 till now)2. How can you assess the current safety situation in Jordan in relation

to the foreign tourists?3. Which destinations in Jordan are the most visited (are the most

popular) by the foreign tourists / by the domestic tourists?4. What do you think about the future development of tourism in Jordan?

What form of tourism will Jordan focus on? On what segment oftourists?

5. What countries are the biggest Jordanian’s competitors in the tourismindustry?

6. In which area has got Jordan competitive advantage in tourismindustry against the other countries in the region?

7. Do some projects for the future development of tourism in Jordanexists?The required secondary data has been collected from various old

research papers, from Jordan National Tourism Strategy (2011-2015,2015-2017), from Yearbook and Compendium of UNWTO, from UNWTOTourism Highlights, from Jordan Tourism Board (e. g. materials, maps,CD).

1.4 Literature review

The study of Valenina Croitor [4], titled “Arab Spring, Effects onTourism (Can Tourism be Developed?)” shows that the countries thatwitnessed the Arab spring movement were affected negatively in 2010 and2011, however countries with tourism attraction and resources gotrestored some of their competitive ability in 2012. The study “TheChallenges of Tourism in The Countries of Arab Spring Revolution”provided by Ali et al [1] is related to situation in tourism in the Arab worldbefore and after the Arab spring.

Mustafa [13] specifically discussed globalization and tourism in Jordan,in terms of unconstrained world distances or borders and their effects onthe Middle East, stressing the value and use of increased communicationand transportation in enabling more global interaction which erodescultural differences. He concludes that Arab nations saw largely economicbenefits from tourism, paying less attention to socio-cultural andenvironmental effects. He recommends more sustainable developmentand planning.

To increase the tourism contribution to national wealth and help todevelop regions in order to bring in wealth and provide job opportunities,countries like Jordan with its extensive, varied cultural history, natural

2Middle East = Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestina,Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen (presented by UNWTO); MiddleEast and North Afrika = Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (presentedby World Economic Forum, The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index).

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and scenic resources are in a good position to seek foreign investment toexploit or better manage their assets [16].

The tourism sector is Jordan’s second highest generator of foreignexchange and the second largest private-sector employer [14]. However,there are several major obstacles hindering tourism development inJordan [5; 8].

World Travel & Tourism Council reports annually at a global summitand provides relative facts, figures and graphs annually on 184 countries,so this paper will look at some of this research to rank the Jordaniantourism industry [19].

2. Tourism in Jordan

Jordan, officially Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an Arab kingdom inthe Middle East2, on the East Bank of the River Jordan. Jordan is a smallcountry (89 342 km2, 112 place out of 252 countries) with few naturalresources, but it has played a pivotal role in the struggle for power in theMiddle East.

Jordan is a young country dense with history and nature, a well-travelled bridge between sea and desert, east and west. As a traditionalcrossroads of ancient trade routes, most of the great historical civilizationshave left their marks, from Moabites to the Romans and Crusaders. Graph1 shows tourist attractions and cities in Jordan.

According to the Jordan Tourism Board Jordan can be regarded asa typical Arab country. Its people are very warm, friendly and hospitableand are typically happy to forgive foreigners who innocently “break therules” of etiquette. Foreign women in Jordan are often treated as honorary“men”. Local women enjoy considerable freedom compared with manyother countries in the region. Women are entitled to a full education, theycan vote, drive cars, and often play significant roles in business andpolitics. Jordan is primarily a Muslim country, although the freedom of allreligions is protected.

2.1 Development of tourism in Jordan

Table 1 shows the international tourist arrivals in the Middle East areestimated to have growth by 3 million in 2014, increasing the total to 51million. The region is showing signs of recovery following three difficultyears, with most destinations posting positive results. International

Source: Jordan Map & Sites: Interactive Map of Jordan. Available on:http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/sites.html

Graph1Tourist Attractions and Cities in Jordan

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tourism receipts in Jordan increased by 6 % to reach US$ 49 billion. Theregion has a 5 % share in worldwide arrivals and a 4 % share in receipts.Growth was driven by the region´s top destination Saudi Arabia reportinga 13 % increase in the number of international arrivals. Qatar posteda solid 8 % increase in arrivals, with figures almost doubling over the pastfive years. Growth in Lebanon (+ 6 %) also picked up, while Palestine(+ 2 %) and Jordan (+ 1 %) recorded more moderate growth. Jordan´sshare of tourist arrivals to the Middle East is around 8 %.

Mr. Charl Twal has said that, „Jordan has recorded sustainablegrowth from 2005 till 2010 due to general improvement in marketingand promotion effectiveness“. As the travel market experienced some

Source: UNWTO (2014). UNWTO Compendium of Tourism Statistics. 2014 Edition. Madrid:UNWTO; UNWTO (2014). UNWTO Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, 2014 Edition. Madrid:UNWTO

significant changes in the Middle East region, resulting from the ArabSpring’s impact on key tourism markets, Jordan has seen tourism flows,decline in 2011 and 2013 as the Table 2 shows. The major issue hasbeen the war in neighboring Syria, which has been keeping tourists awayfrom the Levant as a whole. That said, Jordan itself is a relatively safedestination, and although tourism from Europe continues to decline,travelers from Arab countries are on the rise, as they move away fromtroubled destinations like Syria, Egypt, Lebanon. Minister of Tourismand Antiquities Nayef Al Fayez has previously said that, „the Daeshterrorist group has affected tourism in the region more than the so-called Arab Spring uprisings“. Also it is important to state thatdevelopment of tourism in Jordan (not only) was influenced by the Worldeconomic crisis.

As the table 3 shows, Jordan´s largest source market is the MiddleEast, on the 2nd place is the Europe and the most dynamic region is theAsia and the Pacific (East Asia and the Pacific + South Asia).

The European market is a traditionally established market for Jordan.But unfortunately can be seen that the number of European touristsarriving in Jordan has decreased. This state may be due to the state ofpolitical instability in the region which has clearly influenced the flow of

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Table 1International Tourist Arrivals and International Tourism Receiptsin the Middle East

Source: UNWTO (2015). UNWTO Tourism Highlights. 2015 Edition, Madrid: UNWTO

Table 2Arrivals of non-resident tourists at national border (mil.)

Country/ Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Jordan 3,73 3,79 4,21 3,96 4,16 3,9 4,0

Source: UNWTO (2014). UNWTO Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, 2014 Edition. Madrid:UNWTO

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Table 3Arrivals of non-resident tourists at national borders

2010 2011 2012Market share

2012 (%)

Africa 49 762 49 947 55 002 1,32

Americas 215 121 189 283 198 631 4,77

East Asia and

the Pacific148 981 154 149 174 733 4,20

Europe 744 992 626 886 590 204 14,18

Middle East 2 054 551 1 892 950 2 007 452 48,23

South Asia 65 243 77 078 77 759 1,87

Not specified 928 758 969 361 1 058 586 25,43

Total 4 207 408 3 959 654 4 162 367 100,00

tourists to Jordan. The main European nationalities visiting Jordan areIsrael, United Kingdom and Italy. [20]

Jordan is regarded as a traditional market for USA internationaltourists. USA tourists come to Jordan for many purposes, such as visitingfriends and relatives, holy sites, rest a recreation, adventures, businessand others.

Jordan enjoys strong and warm relations with Gulf CooperationCouncil (GCC) countries. These countries, whose citizens, in general, havethe highest per capita income in the region, contribute to giving Jordana clear advantage over some other countries. The GCC market is the mainregional market for the Jordanian tourism product. Jordan´s closenessto the gulf region, as well as its ideal climate and variety of its tourismproduct, are some of the factors that encourage tourists form the GCCcountries to come to Jordan, especially in the summer season. Inaddition, common characteristics, such as language, culture and heritage,make Jordan a suitable destination for tourists from the GCC countriesthat come to Jordan with families and relatives using theirtransportation.

East Asia and the Pacific Rim is a clearly identified market, the numberof tourist arrivals from that part of the world is still low compared to thenumber of tourists from other regions. But it can be stated that East Asiaand Pacific is the most dynamic market source for Jordan.

This part reviews the main features of tourism in the chief competingmarkets for Jordan – Egypt, Israel and Turkey. It is important to note that,although Egypt, Israel and Turkey possess similar attractions to thosecharacterizing Jordan (climate, beaches resorts etc.), Jordan has specific

Table 5Country rankings (relative contribution to GDP and Employment, 2014)

Source: UNWTO (2015). UNWTO Tourism Highlights. 2015 Edition, Madrid: UNWTO

attractions that are considered unique and can enable Jordan to differentiateitself from these three markets. Jordan is a country of great diversity, offeringvaried experiences to tourists: from the Dead to the Red Sea, the magic ofWadi Rum, the bewilderness of Petra, the history of Jerash, Ajloun Castleetc. Turkey competes esp. in the field of medical and adventure tourism,Egypt competes with the lower prices, says Mr. Samer Twal.

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Table 4Tourist arrivals to Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Turkey in 2014

Country Number of tourists

Jordan 3 990 000

Egypt 9 628 000

Israel 2 927 000

Turkey 39 811 000

Source: WTTC (2015). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2015. Jordan. World Travel &Tourism Council, London: WTTC

Table 4 shows the total number of tourists who actually visited Jordan,Egypt, Israel and Turkey in 2014. It is evident that Turkey has the lion´sshare of tourists, followed by Egypt and then Jordan and Israel. Turkeyis ranking as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world [22].

Table 5 shows country rankings in connection to the relativecontribution to GDP and Employment. Considering the small size andpopulation of Jordan, its results are well into the top half of the 184countries between 29th (Travel & Tourism´s Total Contribution to GDP)and 56th (Travel & Tourism´s Direct Contribution to Employment); sogovernment policy is obviously exploiting its tourism resources well.Jordan has mostly better results than other competitive countries. Fordetailed information about the importance of tourism to the economy ofJordan see 2.3.

2.2 Safety situation in Jordan

Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East. The securitysituation in the country can be evaluated using two basic indices: GlobalPeace Index (GPI) and Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) –Indicator: Safety and Security.

GPI ranks the nations of the world according to their level ofpeacefulness. The index is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitativeindicators from highly respected sources and ranks 162 independentstates, covering 99,6 per cent of the world´s population. The index gangesglobal peace using three broad themes: the level of safety and security insociety, the extent of domestic and international conflict and the degreesof militarization. Jordan was ranked among the top five peaceful countriesin the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) although its global rankingdropped, according to the GPI 2015. The index indicated that Jordanranked fourth among the MENA countries and was preceded by Qatar,Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

The TTCI measures the „set of factors and policies that enable thesustainable development of the Travel & Tourism sector, which in turn,contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.“ [12]The TTCI benchmarks the Travel & Tourism competitiveness of 141economies. It comprises four sub-indexes, 14 pillars, and 90 individualindicators, distributed among the different pillars:

Safety and security is a critical factor determining the competitiveness ofa country’s tourism industry. Tourists are likely to be deterred from travelingto dangerous countries or regions, making it less attractive to develop thetourism sector in those places. Here we take into account the costliness ofcommon crime and violence as well as terrorism, and the extent to whichpolice services can be relied upon to provide protection from crime.

As the table 8 shows, Jordan ranked 77th among world countries and8th among countries of the region in the TTCI. In Safety and SecurityIndex Jordan is ranked 6th in the region.

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Jordan as a potential destination to the Czech Republic is the title of theresearch which was carried out in January and February 2013, and thepurpose of it was to determine awareness of the Czech citizens aboutJordan as a destination and if the Czech citizens are interested intraveling to Jordan. The part of the research was also the questionconcerning the safety situation in Jordan. Research was carried out onthe website server vyplnto.cz between January and February, 2013. Theentire survey was anonymous. Complete results of the research arepublicly available at: http://jordansko-potencialni-destin.vyplnto.cz. Thequestionnaire was answered by 299 respondents.

The most of respondents perceives Jordan as a safe destination(42.47%), as a positive result we can take also 33.11% of respondents whodon´t know.

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Table 7Global Peace Index 2015

Source: IEP (2015). Global Peace Index 2015. Measuring Peace, its Causes and its EconomicValue, Sydney: IEP

Source: WEF (2015). The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015: Growth throughShocks. Geneva: World Economic Forum

Table 8The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015 – Middle East andNorth Africa

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Graph 2The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015 framework

Source: WEF (2015). The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015: Growth throughShocks. Geneva: World Economic Forum

Source: Own processing

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Table 9Question – Do you see Jordan as a safe destination?

Q: Do you see Jordan as a safe destination? %

rather YES 34,78

I don´t know 33,11

rather NO 23,08

definitely YES 7,69

definitely NO 1,34

2.3 The Importance of tourism to the economy of Jordan

Jordan is a small middle-income country with few natural resourcesand the economy depends largely on services (64.7 % of GDP) and foreignaid, of which the US is the main provider. Tourism has of vital importanceto the national economy of Jordan. It is the Kingdom´s largest exportsector, its second largest private sector employer, and it´s second highestproducer of foreign exchange [2].

The World Travel and Tourism Council´s (WTTC) 2015 „EconomicImpact Report“ for Jordan is a largely enumerative study of the currentand long-term contribution of tourism to Jordan´s economy and how it isperforming in comparison both with other countries in the region andthroughout the world.

The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism primarily reflects theeconomic activity generated by industries such as hotels, travel agents,airlines etc. But it also includes, for example, the activities of therestaurant and leisure industries directly supported.

The total contribution of Travel & Tourism includes its „wider impacts“(indirect and induced impacts) on the economy. The indirect contributionincludes the GDP and jobs supported by:� Travel & Tourism investment spending – an important aspect of both

current and future activity that includes investment activity thatincludes investment activity such as the purchase of new aircraft andconstruction of new hotels;

� Government „collective spending, which helps Travel & Tourism activityin many different ways as it is made on behalf of the „community atlarge“ – for example marketing and promotion, aviation, administration,security services;

� Domestic purchases of goods and services of the sectors dealing directlywith tourists – including, for example, purchases of food and cleaningservices by hotels, of fuel and catering services by airlines.

Source: WTTC (2015). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2015. Jordan. World Travel &Tourism Council, London: WTTC

The induces contribution measures the GDP and jobs supported by thespending of those who are directly or indirectly employed by the Travel &Tourism sector.

According to the WTTC´s latest annual research (see table 10), thedirect contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP in 2014 was JOD1,576.7mn (6.2 % of GDP). This is to forecast to rise by 4.7 % to JOD1,650.7mn in 2015.

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Table 10The economic contribution of tourism sector in Jordan

The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was JOD 5,810.9mnin 2014 (23.0 % of GDP) and is expected to grow by 4,7 % to JOD 6,081.8mln (23,2 % of GDP) in 2015.

Travel & Tourism generated 78 000 jobs directly in 2014 (5,1 % of totalemployment) and this is forecast to grow by 4,1 % in 2015 to 81 500(5,1 % of total employment).

The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment was 310 000jobs in 2014 (20,0 % of total employment). This is forecast to rise by4.0 % in 2015 to 322 000 jobs (20,2 % of total employment).

Money spent by foreign visitors to a country (or visitor exports) is a keycomponent of the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism. In 2014, Jordangenerated JOD 3,878.4mn in visitor exports. In 2015, this is expected togrow by 4.9 % and the country is expected to attract 4 364 000international tourist arrivals.

2.4 Main types of the Jordanian tourism products

The following paragraphs identify the main types of Jordanian tourismproducts. However, tourists may also find a combination of these typeswhile visiting a single destination.

Cultural Tourism is a form of tourism motivated by interest inhistorical, artistic, scientific or heritage offering of a community, region,

3A vernacular site is a local community that still protects and hangs on to its indigenoustangible and intangible features and traditions.

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group or institutions. Cultural Tourism is based on tourists visitingcultural sites:� Archeological sites – Petra, Jerash, Karak, Shoubak, Madaba and

Desert Castles,� Religious sites – the River Jordan where Jesus Christ was baptised; the

Jordan Valley with its village and highlands where Jesus and hisdisciples preached; Madaba´s chief attraction can be found in thecontemporary Greek Orthodox Church of St. George – the mosaic map ofthe Holy Land is located; Jordan has more than fifty Islamic shrines etc.;

� Vernacular sites3 - for example Taybet Zaman and Um-Qais;� Archeological and historical museum – for example Amman Citadel

Museum, Jordan Folklore Museum and Jordan Museum of PopularTradition; La Storia Tourism Complex;

� Commemoration sites – there are sites that mark and honor thememory of a person, place or incident. In Jordan, commemoration sitesare associated with battles such as Mo´ta Battle, Yarmouk Battle,Jerusalem Battle, Al-Smouh Battle and Al-Karama Battle.Above are mentioned only few examples of very strong cultural heritage

which Jordan can offer.

Eco-tourism is used to define forms of tourism which have the followingcharacteristics: [11]� all nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the

tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as thetraditional cultures prevailing in natural areas;

� it contains educational and interpretation features;� it minimizes negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural

environment;� is supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as

ecotourism attractions by providing alternative employment and incomeopportunities for local communities etc.Jordan is a land of diversity, a land that encompasses all, sea and

mountain, waterfall and desert, from the relaxing waters of the Dead Seato the amazing mountains and desert of Wadi Rum and the flowingwaterfalls of Mujib. There are at present seven nature reserves in Jordanorganized and managed by The Royal Society for the Conservation ofNature, namely: [17]� Dana Biosphere Reserve, often simply called Dana Nature Reserve, is

Jordan’s largest reserve, located in and around the town of Dana in themountains east of Wadi Araba;

� Mujib Nature Reserve, commonly known as Wadi Mujib, is a longcanyon feeding the Dead Sea running through the ancient regionof Moab and the lowest nature reserve in the world;

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� Ajloun Forest Reserve is in north Jordan, near Jerash and Ajloun, andclose to the Ajloun Castle. The reserve consists of rolling hills ina Mediterranean-like environment, covered in evergreen oaks, as well asstrawberry and pistachio trees, among others;

� Dibeen Forest, close to the ancient Roman city of Jerash, is the newestreserve in Jordan, established in 2004. The forest is a pine-oak habitat,housing the Aleppo pine and marking the geographical limit of this typeof forest;

� The Azraq Wetlands, located in Jordan’s eastern desert near the townof Azraq, is RSCN’s only wetlands reserve. The reserve, once a popularstopover for millions of migratory birds going from Africa to Eurasia, isnow severely depleted due to over-pumping to support Jordan’s growingpopulation;

� Shaumari Wildlife Reserve is located in the eastern Jordanian desert,close to Azraq Wetland Reserve. The geology comprises desert wadismaking up 65% of the area and Hammada areas covered in black flintforming 35% of the reserve;

� Fifa Nature Reserve is located in the south-western part of Jordan. Thereserve has an area of 23.2 km2. In part lying well below sea level, thereserve contains the salt plant pattern and the tropical plant pattern.

Adventure Tourism is based on visitors participating in adventurousactivities such as climbing, trekking, all kinds of sport, camping, handgliding, parachuting and bird watching (it can also be classified as eco-tourism). Some of the important sites that provide adventure tourism inJordan are Aqaba and Wadi Rum. Also, the government supports someadventure tourism activities such as car racing; water skating, horseracing and diving.

Medical and Thermal TourismJordan is renowned for its excellent medical services in the region as

a whole. This is due to its highly qualified doctors, specialists and nursingstaff as well as its well-equipped hospitals, medical centers andlaboratories. In addition, Jordan has a number of natural springs andspas that attract visitors seeking thermal medication. The Dead Sea is themost visited destination for natural healing. Other hot springs includeMa´en, A´ffra and Himma.

Desert Tourism is based on visitors experiencing desert life as theBedouins live. Some of these sites are Wadi Araba, Wadi Rum, Alktranhdesert land and the Diseh area. These sites were the location of theLawrence of Arabia legend.

Recreational Tourism is based on people visiting places with theirfamilies for the purpose of family outings, events, festival and otherattractions. In Jordan the main market for this product is the Gulf

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market where visitors and tourists arrive in Jordan to spend theirholidays and to attend annual festivals such as Jerash Festival for Artsand Crafts, Shabeeb Palace Festival, Azraq Festival and Fuhais ArtFestival.

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) can be both domestic andinternational. Domestic VFR is either when locals working in cities gohome for the weekend, or when locals decide to visit the countryside forthe weekend. On the other hand, international VFR occurs whenJordanians working abroad (especially in the Gulf countries) decide tovisit their families and friends on their holidays and vacations.

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (Events)A perfect blend of ingredients that combine world-class facilities and

breathtaking landscapes, Jordan is the ideal location for any event frommeetings and incentives to conferences and exhibitions. For manycorporations, MICE events are the cornerstone of the organization,resulting in highly motivated staff members and enhancing positive publicawareness. Jordan´s possession of accommodation facilities andmanagement capabilities makes it an ideal destination for MICE.

Education TourismWith over 20 universities and over 35 institutes, both public and

private, Jordan has become a destination of educational attraction.Universities in Jordan are currently well equipped and staffed to cope withthe increasing number of students, from inside and outside of Jordan,who wish to start and / or continue their studies in Jordan. And inaddition, students during their studies can explore the beauty of Jordan.

3. Future development of tourism in Jordan

Tourism in the Middle East is forecast to grow at 4.6 % per year upto 2030, compared to the world average of 3,3 %. According to theUNWTO Tourism Towards 2030, the number of international touristarrivals to the Middle East is expected to achieve 149 million by theyear 2030.

According to the WTTC´s latest annual research [19], the directcontribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP is expected to grow by 5,5 % pato JOD 2,816.9mn (6,9 %) by 2025. As regards to the total contributionof Travel & Tourism to GDP there is forecast to rise by 5,6 % pa to JOD10,530.0mn by 2025 (25,7 % of GDP).

By 2025, Travel & Tourism will account for 120 000 jobs directly, anincrease of 4.0 % pa over the next ten years. By 2025, Travel & Tourismis forecast to support 475 000 jobs (23.7 % of total employment), anincrease of 4,0 % pa over the period.

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By 2025, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 6 508 000,generating expenditure of JOD 7,010.3mn, an increase of 5.6 % pa.

Given the importance of the tourism sector to the economy, theGovernment of Jordan, through the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities,has focused considerable attention in recent years on developinga coherent strategy.

The changed competitive environment in international tourism of recentyears has indicated that Jordan’s strategy for the coming years must placea stronger emphasis on raising the overall competitiveness of the industryby focusing on: [10]� delivering planned improvements and enhancements in the enabling

environment that will empower the industry, deepen stakeholderpartnerships and provide for world class regulation;

� raising overall tourism revenue by increasing the average length ofstay of international visitors (particularly higher spend tourists),increase arrivals in the off season, and stimulate the domestic tourismmarket;

� reducing the impact of seasonality further by increasing tourist volumesduring the shoulder and off-peak months;

� better marketing and promotion of Jordan as a destination throughfurther strengthening of the branding message and utilizing newdistribution channels, with a priority on e-marketing, social networkingand web-based platforms;

� specifically-targeted programs of work designed to build great visitorexperiences there by creating a competitive advantage for Jordan;

� building on the excellent base already established to create and retainthe best human resources in the region in order to drive industrysuccess at every level.At the end we can mention a few projects for the future support of

tourism development in Jordan:� Meanwhile, the government recently adopted several measures to

promote tourism including waiving visa fees for tourists of allnationalities coming through Jordanian tour operators and are to stayfor more than two nights.

� The government also decided to reduce electricity tariffs imposed onhotels to encourage competitive prices. A source at the Jordan HotelsAssociation said that the tariff has not been specified yet so thathoteliers cannot make any move before things are clear.

� It should be noted that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities hasrecently announced a special tourism plan to promote Jordan as anattractive destination site for tourists from East Asia and the Pacific,especially Japanese tourists.

� Jordan has a strong and well-connected transport and infrastructuresystem, three commercial airports, a deep-water seaport, an extensivenetwork of highways, and over 60 direct flights to major cities in theworld through RJ Airlines and 700 other flights served by the One World

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Alliance; in addition, the Government of Jordan has supported 20major infrastructure projects related to the tourism sector: [12]– Development and rehabilitation of Jerash Visitor Center– Rehabilitation of Jerash Handicrafts Village– Rehabilitation and maintenance of Madaba Visitor Center– Rehabilitation of Al-Haranna Castle Visitor Center– Rehabilitation of Quseir Amra Visitor Center– Development of the Hosh Al-Moa’ahada Area in Um Qais – Irbid– Improvement, maintenance and operational works including building

capacity at A’fra in Tafila– Developing the role of the tourist police to serve the tourism sector– Rehabilitation of Sele’a heritage village in Tafila– Developing Almatn site and the tourist trail in Tafila– Developing the tourist street in the center of Al-Karak city– Completion of the rehabilitation of the tourist trail of Al-Kader Street

in Salt– Rehabilitation and operation of the Aziz Jasir house in Salt (Pilot

model)– Acquisition and purchase of land– Updating and repairs of different buildings– Provision of facilities and services for the operation of the Royal Park

in Jerash– Implementation of Um Qais site management plan– Support a number of associations to furnish and operate the ground

floor of Saraya building in Madaba– Development and rehabilitation of the King Abdullah Park facilities in

Ma’an– Operation of heritage buildings in the center of Irbid city

� According to NTS 2011 – 2015 [12], the 12 market segments thatpresent significant opportunities for Jordan are:– Cultural heritage (archeology) = cultural tourism– Religious tourism– Eco-tourism– Health and wellness, medical tourism– Cruises– Meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE)– Adventure and activity tourism– Scientific, academic, volunteer and educational (SAVE)– Filming and photography, film tourism– Festivals and cultural events– Summer and family holidays– Sports and recreationand very important is to develop the tourism in Jordan by the

responsible way (contacts with local people, cooking, sharing experiencewith all the others, story and sharing the story of the local people....) saysMr. Charl Twal.

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� Madaba – new city for tourism = it is vision not only presented by Mr.Samer Twal:– Opportunities – proximity to Amman and international airport as well

as other religious sites, unique historic and religious tourismofferings, development of old town as a tourist friendly destination;

– Challenges – accessibility from Amman and surrounding sites,transportation and trip circuits need development, lack of eveningentertainment, family activities.

4. Conclusion

The Jordanian tourism sector represents the biggest export sector ofthe Jordanian economy. It is also the second biggest private sectoremployer and second biggest source of inflows of the foreign exchange. Itcan be stated that tourism is one of the most important sectors ofJordan´s economy, having contributed 6,2 % to its GDP in 2014.

Without doubt Jordan will support tourism development. For the futuredevelopment of tourism is important to underline rich natural, culturaland historical heritage in connection with the political stability, religioustoleration, a higher quality of life, better healthcare and educationcompared with surrounding areas, cosmopolitanism, exquisite cuisine,friendly and welcoming people, together with a reasonably liberal socialand economic environment.

As already indicated, tourism resources in Jordan are so diversealthough of being located within a small area, these resources can beclassified into three categories:1. Natural resources: these include areas of significant land/sea-scapes,

these include: Aqaba, Wadi Rum and natural reserves spreading inmany regions.

2. Cultural resources: these include mainly archaeological/historicalsites, shopping and galleries, events, and handcrafts.

3. Therapeutic resources: these are composed of the Dead Sea and somelocations where waterfall and hot springs are found.But unfortunately the development of tourism in last years is negatively

influenced by the Arab Spring and by the World economic crisis. Jordan’stourism strategy for the coming years must place a stronger emphasis onraising the overall competitiveness of the industry by focusing especiallyon raising overall tourism revenue by increasing the average length of stayof international visitors, on increasing arrivals in the off season, and onstimulating the domestic tourism. Attention will be paid also to bettermarketing and promotion of Jordan as a destination and to building onthe excellent base already established to create and retain the best humanresources in the region in order to drive industry success at every level.

The three of four hypotheses (H1: Tourism is the most important sectorin Jordanian economy, H2: There is a negative impact of the Arab Spring on

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the number of tourist arrivals, H3: Jordan is one of the safest destinationsin the Middle East) were confirmed on the basis of primary and secondarydata. One hypothesis (H4: There are only limited tourism resources inJordan (thanks to the small area of the country) was disproved.

„Stay as a guest, leave as a friend. “

Mr. Charl Twal - Owner, Mariam Hotel, Madaba, Jordan

References

[1] ALI at al. The Challenges of Tourism in the countries of Arab Spring Revolution.Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences. 6(7). Institute of West Asian Studies.University Kebangsaan, Malaysia.[2] About Jordan [online]. [last accessed 2015-11-01]. Available on:http://www.jo.undp.org/content/jordan/en/home/countryinfo.html[3] ALAFI, Khaled, K. Developing World: Increasing Jordanian Tourism: A StrategicPlan. In: Journal of Management Research. 2014, Vol. 6, No. 1. ISSN 1941-899X.Available on: http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jmr/ article/view/4715/4055[3] Country and Lending Groups. [online]. [last accessed 2015-10-25]. Available on:http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-and-lending-groups#Upper_middle_income.[4] CROITER V. at al. Arab Spring and effects on tourism (Can tourism bedeveloped?). University of TarguTures, Romania[5] El-ROUDAN, O., Al-ARDAH, F., BEDOUR, T. Tourism Economics in Jordan:EssentialFfacilities and Marketing. Amman:Royal Scientific Society, 2000[6] Global Peace Index 2015. Measuring peace, its causes and its economic value.[online]. Institute for Economic & Peace [last accessed 2015-10-26]. ISBN 978-0-9942456-3-2. Available on: http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Global-Peace-Index-Report-2015_0.pdf[7] HAMARNEH, Iveta. Jordánsko - potenciální destinace českých turistů (výsledkyprůzkumu), 2013. Available on: http://jordansko-potencialni-destin.vyplnto.cz)[8] Challenges and Opportunities of WTO on Services in Selected ESCWA membercountries: tourism. New York:United Nations, 2001[9] Jordan Map & Sites: Interactive Map of Jordan. Available on:http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/sites.html[10] Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2011 – 2015. [online]. [last accessed 2012-01-22]. Available on: http://www.mota.gov.jo/Documents/NTS_2011-2015_English.pdf[11] Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy Makers, UNEP andUNWTO, 2005, p.11-12[12] Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities. [last accessed 2015-10-26]. Available on:http://www.mota.gov.jo/[13] MUSTAFA, M.H. International tourism: Number of arrivals in Middle East andArab World. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 1(1), 37-4[14] SHDEIFAT et al. Development of Methods and Tools for the Establishment ofGood Environmental Performance in the Tourist Accommodation Sector in Jordan –Implementation of pilot studies. In G. Tas (Ed.). Zarqa: The Hashemite University

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[15] The British ecotourism market. UNWTO, 2002. [online]. Institute for Economic& Peace [last accessed 2015-10-26]. Available from: https://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/Products/1223/1223-1.pdf[16] The Economic Impact of Air Service Liberalization. InterVISTAS Consulting Inc.[online]. [last accessed 2015-11-01]. Available from: http://www.intervistas.com/downloads/Economic_Impact_of_Air_Service_Liberalization_Final_Report.pdf[17] The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). [online]. [2015-10-25].Available on: http://www.rscn.org.jo/[18] The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015.: Growth throughShocks. [online]. Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2015 [cit. 2015-11-01]. ISBN978-92-95044-48-7. Available from: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/TT15/WEF_Global_Travel&Tourism_Report_2015.pdf[19] Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2015. Jordan. World Travel & TourismCouncil, 2015. [online]. [last accessed 2015-11-01]. Available from:https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/countries%202015/jordan2015.pdf[20] UNWTO Compendium of Tourism Statistics. 2014 Edition. Madrid: UNWTO,2014. ISBN 978-92-844-1592-2.[21] UNWTO Yearbook of Tourism Statistics. 2014 Edition. Madrid: UNWTO, 2014.ISBN 978- 92-844-1590-8.[22] UNWTO Tourism Highlights. 2015 Edition. [online]. [2015-10-25]. Availableon: http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284416899

AcknowledgementsIn particular I wish to thank the following persons and organizations:Mr. Charl Twal - Owner, Mariam Hotel, Madaba, JordanMr. Samer Twal - Chairman, Tourism Development & Heritage PreservationAssociation, Madaba, JordanMr. Luay E. Al-Farraj – Stakeholders´ Relations & Airport Office Manager, JordanTourism Board, Amman, JordanTanya H. Masa´deh – Senior Economic Researcher, Jordan Tourism Board,Amman, Jordan

Ing.Iveta Hamarneh,Ph.D.University college of Business in PragueDepartment of guided activitiesSpálená 14110 00 Prague 1Czech RepublicIveta.hamarneh@vso-praha.euhttp://www.vsopraha.eu

Iveta Hamarneh has been engaged at the University college of Business inPrague since 2002. Iveta Hamarneh is a Head of Department of TourismEconomy. Iveta Hamarneh has been concerned with the geography oftourism, economy of tourism and as well as with international tourism.

The Causes and Behavior-altering Effects ofHotel Guests’ Dissatisfaction

Ákos Kátay

Kodolányi János University of Applied Sciences

Abstract

The product hotels sell is pure service. Since this product can’t be tried out inadvance, its purchase depends largely on the guest’s trust [47]. Guests evaluatethe service based on the fulfillment of the complete experience. This means thatthey don’t just rate the result but the process as well. They do this based ona subjective evaluation of the service they receive. [48]. The goal of this researchis to explore – using the SERVQUAL model [28] – which characteristic of thisservice or which behavior of the service provider leads to a dissatisfied hotel guesteither through being faulty or absent. The findings of the research reveal that themajority hotel guests who left negative feedback have done so because they weremissing the manifestations of hospitality. The majority of these negative feedbackswere so severe that they resulted in actions by guests that were unfavorable forthe hotel.

Key words: guest, hotel, service, dissatisfied

JEL Classification: L83, L86

1. Introduction

Tourism is – without a doubt – continuously evolving. The growth inthe number of tourists at popular destinations can be seen even withoutparticipating in tourism. The World Tourism Organization’s 2030 forecastpredicts 1.4 billion visits for the not too distant future of 2020, more than40% of which is expected to be directed to Europe. Europe’s share fromworld tourism was 51.4% in 2014. This meant 581.8 million individualvisits, 78.2% of which happened in the European Union [2]. Over 60% ofnights spent in the European Union were realized in hotels and similarestablishments1 (Graph 1).

1Hotels and similar establishments are typified as being arranged in rooms, in numberexceeding a specified minimum; as coming under a common management; as providingcertain services including room service, daily bed-making and cleaning of sanitary facilities;as grouped in classes and categories according to the facilities and services provided; andas not falling in the category of specialized establishments [3].

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The high share of spent nights is realized in 13,5 million bed-places inthe 6,5 million rooms of 200 000 hotels and similar establishments. Thesecapacities are only partly utilized however. According to the data of Graph22, the room capacity utilization of hotels and similar establishments

Graph 1Nights spent in the European Union 2010-2013 (million)

Source: Original, based on Eurostat [4] data

Source: Original, based on Eurostat [6] data

2 There’s no data about Austria, while in the cases of Croatia and the United Kingdom thereis data only for one year each.

Graph 2Net occupancy rate of bedrooms in hotels and similar accommodation inthe European Union 2012-2013 (%)

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Source: Original, based on data from Statistic Brain [14] March 3rd, 2015

stays below 60% on a yearly basis. In other words, the supply is higherthan the demand.

Countries, lodging establishments within countries and hospitalityproviders within the same category – including hotels – have to compete forcustomers and the customers know this as well. Lam T., Zam H. [7] alreadysaw at the end of the last century, that the greatest challenge for hotelindustry management is to attain and maintain customer satisfaction.Milovic, B. [8] pointed out the benefits of customer relationshipmanagement (CRM): income rising along with increasing customersatisfaction, decreasing cost through simplifying procedures and theprofitability improvement which is the combined result of the first two.

RateGain’s income management guide [9] regards the spread of lastminute bookings, the shortening of time between travel planning andactual travel as one of the current trends of tourism. Based on a 2014research from PhoCusWright [10], 70% of bookings made through OTAs3

took place no more than one day before arrival. Due to the spread of lastminute bookings, promotional offers have to reach target groups in timeas well. Social media is more suited for this than printed materials, not tomention the chance to save on printing and distribution costs [11].According to Criteo Travel’s Flash Report [12], in the first half of 201421% of hotel bookings were made using mobile devices (smartphones andtablets). Researching the reasons behind this is not part of the goals ofthis paper. What is important however is that last minute bookings aremade possible by technology which is accessible to both supply anddemand sides. The number of internet users have already exceeded 3billion in 2014, which is more than 40% of the world’s population. Thisratio was only 1% in 1995 [13]. Table 1 shows representative data [14] oninternet use within tourism and hotel industry.

Table 1Internet use within tourism and hotel industry

Travel Booking Site Statistics Data

Average number of reviews for a hotel 238

Percent of travelers who find user reviews important 81%

Percent of travelers who won’t book a hotel without reviews 49%

Online Travel Booking Statistics Data

Number of travel bookings made on the internet each year 148,3 million

Percent of all travel reservations made on the internet 57%

Percent of same day hotel reservations made from

a smartphone 65%

3 Online Travel Agencies

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Leaving the travel decision to the last moment is not the same as beingirresponsible. It does mean however, that the guest has less time topersonally and thoroughly inform herself of the expected variety ofservices, their quality and the cost-benefit ratio. This information iscommunicated by hotels through the number of stars to ease thecustomer’s decision. As per UNWTO’s researches on the subject [15] [16],the qualification is performed by the supply side or its representatives,mostly without independent quality control4. The above points explain thedesire of guests to learn about the experiences and opinions of othersabout the hotel and its services.

Rosman, R. and Stuhura, K. [20] point out that it is both important andnecessary for management to deal with e-WOM, since unansweredfeedback – especially if negative – can scare off potential guests. Campos,D. F. – Marodin, T. G. [21] calls attention to the fact that a negative WOMin some cases can jeopardize the image of not only the hotel, but thebrand and even the hotel company. According to the research of Crick,A. P. and Spencer, A. [22], guests not only relate to offered services in theirown way, but also evaluate the same service issue differently as well.Every guest is an individual. Due to this, their dissatisfaction can only beeffectively dealt with if the hotel handles the given problem as a uniquecase. O’Connor’s paper [23] highlights that management has to take thisopportunity for each guest comment. The comment of an unhappy guestis a feedback about the hotel’s performance. Many studies have lookedinto the reasons of dissatisfaction before (Gundersen, M. G. et al. [24],McQitty, S. et al. [25], Spreng, A. R. and Mackoy, D. R. [26]), acceptingand reinforcing the statement of Oliver, R. L. [27], according to whichguest satisfaction is determined by the difference between the expectedand the actually received service. Parasuraman et al. [28] have organizedthese gaps into a system and developed [29] the SERVQUAL model, whichalso fits the hotel industry very well. The original model of Parasuramanet al. described five gaps between expectations and received service.

GAP 1. The exact expectation of the guest is unknown. The gap is thedifference between the expected service and management perceptions ofcustomer expectations.

GAP 2. Inadequate quality standards. The gap is the difference betweenservice quality specifications and management perceptions of customerexpectations.

GAP 3. Service quality not meeting specified levels. The gap is thedifference between service delivery and service quality specifications.

GAP 4. Broken promise. The gap is the difference between servicedelivery and external communications.

GAP 5. Service is not what was expected. The gap is the differencebetween perceived service and expected service.

Luk, Sh. T. K. and Layton, R. [30] have created an extended version of

4 exceptions include Hotelstars Union

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the model, which now includes two more gaps in the context of consumer(guest) – colleague – management.

GAP 6. Baseless assumption. The gap is the difference betweenexpected service and employee perceptions of customer expectations.

GAP 7. Lack of harmony within service provider organization. The gapis the difference between employee perceptions of customer expectationsand management perceptions of customer expectations.

Services are heterogeneous in nature. This is because they are providedby people. One characteristic of human resources is that it can regulateits performance. The majority of hotel services are pure services withouta material element. Therefore the quality of the service depends on theperson providing it. Service is intangible. Due to this hotels attempt tomake the service awaiting the guest perceptible through other means (e.g.photo gallery, virtual tour). Service is perishable and can’t be stored. Thelost income from a room left empty on a given day can’t be recovered.Availability comes with a cost, however. Service is inseparable frommarket participants as the presence of the guest is essential for bookingand using a room. The emphasis is therefore on people in the case ofservices. The difference between expected and perceived service can betraced back to two basic reasons:� hotel staff have not done something they should have,� or they did something the guest thought they shouldn’t have [48]; [37].

2. Problem formulation

The main question of the study is how the guest – leaving home inhopes of positive experiences – uses the available digital reviewopportunities to react to negative experiences suffered. A further researchgoal is to discover if real or perceived slights make a guest more critical.Will she look for further issues to reinforce her opinion? Will she recallearlier bad experiences to prove her point? The result of the research isexpected to decide whether comments about negative experiences aredriven more by a will to inform or by the desire for revenge.

H1: the guest becomes more critical after being offended and thusdiscovers and reports further shortcomings.

H2: the goal of a guest sharing her dissatisfaction with others on theinternet is to diminish the revenue of the hotel.

H3: the level of dissatisfaction resulting in retaliations is lower inmember hotels of chains/brands belonging to international hotelcorporations, than in independent hotels.

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3. Problem Solution

3.1 Methods

The secondary research used is the study of related literature and theutilization of relevant findings.

The main research used to learn about the opinions of dissatisfiedguests is a content analysis of guest reviews posted on hotel websitesusing a cluster sample. The first 3 of the 10 most popular cities in Europeare – in order – Florence, Budapest and Prague according to the CondéNast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 20145 These 3 cities were taken asthe sample for the main research. Due to the high number of hotels inthe sample, the number of hotels had to be narrowed down. This wasfacilitated by TripAdvisor’s hotel-suggestion link, which offers a filteringof all possible hits in capitals and touristically important towns with its 30Best <town name> Hotels on TripAdvisor „Just for You” option. Alignedwith the goals of the research, reviews of „poor” and „terrible” ratings wereexamined of the 30 hotels in each city. The sample was taken between2015-02-25 and 2015-05-15. n=1382.

The main title was taken as the main reason for the complaint. In casethere was no main title, the first complaint was taken as the main reason.The first version [28] of the SERVQUAL model was used to organize theresulting data. According to this model, the combined effects of tenvariables define the quality of service (table 2).

Table 2The variables defining service quality in the hotel industry

RELIABILITY. Keeping promises

Ability to provide an accurate and trustworthy service

Price value ratio. Correct billing.

Fulfilling the service at the agreed and confirmed time (e.g. check-in, check-out,

breakfast, wake up call, open hours of F&B retail locations and service areas).

RESPONSIVENESS. Positive attitude.

Willingness to provide service for guests in the right time and way (e.g. quick

feedback, offering alternative solutions and options especially in case of over-

booking or room move, commission procedures6)

COMPETENCE. Understanding of tasks, being personally invested in them and

having the knowledge, ability and skill to fulfill them perfectly.

5 http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-11-04/top-10-cities-in-europe-readers-choice-awards-20146 Fulfilling guest requests

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Source: original based on Parasuraman et al. [28]

ACCESS. Traffic access to the hotel is obvious.

No or minimal wait times (e.g. Check-in, check-out, restaurant).

Access to service areas is simple and obvious.

Open hours are tailored to guest needs.

Internet access, WiFi.

COURTESY.

Friendliness, politeness, attentiveness, tact.

COMMUNICATION. Informing guests in a language they speak on at least the

following topics:

explaining the core of the service,

the price of the service, compromises in the matter of the service requested by

the guest and its expected price,

assuring the guests that their problem is being handled.

CREDIBILITY. Empathetic attitude. Honesty, honor, truthfulness, fairness.

Compliance with the image of the hotel company or chain/brand.

The reasoning used during a sales pitch.

The personal characteristics of the employee representing the hotel.

SECURITY. Personal, medical, asset and monetary security.

Guests don’t have to worry about harassment from either the hotel or other

guests.

Hygiene standards are good, including food safety.

The valuables and personal effects of the guests are safe in the hotel and in

safekeeping areas.

The handling of items left in the hotel.

The relationship between guest and hotel is characterized by discretion.

UNDERSTANDING. Learning the needs of customers and guests beforehand

and recognizing them in the present.

Analyzing the spoken, special and latent expectations of the guests.

Personalized attention.

Recognizing return guests and knowing their habits.

TANGIBLES. Availability and functionality of equipment and appliances.

Appropriate amount of materials and tools, as well as the appropriate frequency

of their refill and replacement.

Other guests in the hotel and other service areas.

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Variables were categorized based on the characteristics (table 2)discovered during the analysis of complaints. The application IBM SPSSStatistics 21 was used to process the data.

3.2 Sample composition

Of the ninety hotels representing the offering palette, 20 (Florence:5,Budapest:12, Prague:3) belong to international chains while 70 areindependent.

Their average quality expressed by the number of stars is 4.2(Florence:3,8; Budapest:4,4; Prague:4,3). Hotels belonging to internationalchains have five stars with one exception. The average quality ofindependent hotels is 4.0 stars. Determining the number of stars wasdone primarily based on data presented on their own websites. When thiswas not available, Booking.com category was used.

On the demand side, of the 1382 guests who posted negativecomments, 55% were traveling with their partner, 13% with theiracquaintances, 21% with their family, while 11% traveled alone.

From the 1382 negative comments, 888 were marked „Poor” and 494„Terrible” on Tripadvisor’s five rank scale.

3.3 Causes of dissatisfaction

There is at least one real or imagined cause for every case of guestdissatisfaction. This main offense is joined by other inconveniences whichwere encountered during the events started by the main offense. Forexample upon arrival to the hotel the guest learns that they need to moveon to another hotel in the city (overbooking is the most often cited reasonby the hotel). In this case the main cause of dissatisfaction is the hotel’slack of reliability. While the guest is waiting for an explanation, they seethat other guests are being given rooms. Due to this, the hotel’s credibilitywill also be called to question along with the main cause. To make mattersworse, the hotel does nothing more than provide the address of the otherhotel where the replacement room was reserved. As a result, theexpectation for responsiveness is also unmet. Since these events are the„products” of the main offense, they would not have taken place withoutit. Graph 3 shows the distribution of main offenses. The number of mainreasons is equal to the number of entries.

A third of the main causes leading to a complaint are the result of falsepromises made by the hotel. One characteristic form of unreliability is themissing confirmed service. Hotels often sell more rooms than they haveavailable. The reason for overbooking is that a portion of bookings arecanceled by guests. The product (room) is purely service however andtherefore cannot be stored. It is perishable. In case a service can’t befulfilled due to overbooking, the guest must be informed in advance anda replacement room has to be organized in a hotel of the same or similar

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quality according to points b) 1. and 2. of article 25 of IH&RA7-UFTAA8

Code of Practice [32]. From the comments it was clear that guests wereonly informed about the alternate arrangement upon arrival.

The other typical unfulfilled promise is the room’s type and/or locationwithin the hotel. In these cases guest dissatisfaction can be traced backto the hotel’s marketing communication. The leading service of the hotelare the rooms. Due to this floor plans are designed with an eye forefficiency instead of ensuring that all rooms provide the same favorableview [33]. On the other hand, the complexity of the hotel’s target groupdemands a variety of room types and the establishment of related pricecategories. The combined effect of the variety of room types and the facingof the building means that often the same type of rooms is located indifferent wings of the hotel. Hotels however only provide a visualpresentation of the most attractive rooms in the form of virtual tours andphoto galleries instead of every room. This can generate high expectationand can lead to disappointment.

The third classic cause of unreliability is unsatisfactory price value ratiocompared to expectations. This was the most characteristic (59%) maincause for complaint in the hotels of Florence. Budapest and Pragueappear on both the 2015 [34] and 2014 [35] lists of 10 cheapest European

Graph 3Main causes of guest dissatisfaction (n=1.382)

Source: original research

7 International Hotel & Restaurant Association8 Universal Federation of Travel Agent’s Associations

36

Source: original based on PriceofTravel [36] data

cities according to TripAdvisor’s research. Table 3 shows the price rangesof hotels in the research sample at the time of this paper’s submission.

Table 34 and 5 star Hotel prices 2015 (Euro)

Hotel Rating (stars) Florence Budapest Prague

**** 47,00 – 474,00 35,00 – 167,00 29,99 – 386,69

***** 225,00 – 692,00 79,00 – 234,00 109,94 – 336,99

Material assets that can fulfill basic and motivational needs and desireson a memorable level – tangibles – play a lead role in the process ofmaking a hotel booking decision. The presence of material assets and theirgood condition is important in keeping guests satisfied due to theinseparable nature of the service.

Since the European Union’s growth in 2004 the European Commissionis continually encourages initiatives aiming for the standardization ofservices. This goal was realized in Hotelstars Union’s uniform criteriasystem, established in 2009. The AHRCR9 and the HHRA10 were among itsfounders. Italy is not yet part of the alliance. Hotel qualification isperformed using different guidelines in each region of Italy.

Guests found the most issues with the room and the bathroom. Thedistribution of guest nationality was not possible due to lack of data,except in cases where the guest made a note of this in the comment andwhere it was obvious from other details (e.g. home address). Based onwhat data was available, it could be determined that 78% of guestsidentified as U.S. Citizens (number of complaints: 463) were unhappy withthe size of the room.

Room size is a determining factor for the feeling of comfort. A basicexpectation of guests is that the hotel room should have its ownbathroom/toilet. This is a minimal requirement even for the three starcategory in every member of the European Union [37]. The minimum sizeof rooms that include a bathroom is not defined by the Hotelstars Union,but bonus qualification points are only rewarded for a size of at least14 m2. The most (25) points can be attained only if at least 85% of therooms are at or above 30 m2 [38].

U.S. Room sizing practice is markedly different.The 2014 Hotel Cost Estimating Guide [39] of the JN+A and the HVS

Global Hospitality Services list that a North American UPSCALE11 ratedhotel’s rooms have on average 389 square feet which is 36,14 m2. Eventhe rooms in ECONOMY hotels, which represent the lowest quality have

9 Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants10 Hungarian Hotel & Restaurant Association11 four star equivalent

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303 square feet, or 27,27 m2 which is almost the double of the 14 m2 forwhich Hotelstars Unions awards the baseline (10) points.

Both cited complaint causes are characteristic for independent hotelsto a larger extent than chain hotels (Graph 4).

Graph 4The ration of main complaint causes in chain (n=590) and independent(n=792) hotels separately (%)

Source: original research

The standards used by chains make the ambiance the guest arrives inmore predictable. Standardization however also comes with the possibilitythat the guest will find the high quality known from the chain’scommunication and experienced during travels to be natural and willexpect it. This can become dangerous when the material assets (seetangibles) of the ambiance in the chain’s member hotel are worn out, notworking, and/or the personnel are not assisting the guest with the familiarand expected attitude and responsiveness. If this is accompanied with thebreaking of a concrete promise made to the guest (see reliability), the hotelis not only damaging its own credibility, but that of its parent chain as well.Credibility made up 12% of main guest complaint reasons (Graph 3), andappeared seven times as often in case of hotels belonging to chains (Graph4) than independent hotels. A contributing factor could be that chains usestandardized room selections and connected price categories. They also liketo use a sales technique called upselling. The essence of upselling is tryingto convince the freshly arrived guest to take a room in a higher price range[40]. Independent hotels also use this method as their options allow.

38

Source: original based on PhoCusWright [41] data (n=1658)

Comprising 5% of main complaint reasons is security, which led todissatisfaction twice as often in independent hotels than in chain hotels.The most typical (46 cases in all) concrete issue that resulted ina grievance arose from a lack of monetary security (unwarranted creditcard charge). In other cases guests cited room theft (14 cases),disappearance of items left in the hotel (6 cases) and food safety (8 cases)as the cause of safety incidents.

Access related deficiencies were only 4% of main complaint reasons.These clustered around two primary problems. One of these was the lackof internet access and Wi-Fi or their limited availability end appeared inchain and independent hotels equally. It is noteworthy that according toPhoCusWright’s 2013 Traveler Technology Survey [41] guests prevalentlyuse mobile devices all throughout the life cycle of their travels (Table 4).

Table 4Mobil Devices Used During the Travel Life cycle (%)

Destination Selection Shopping Booking Sharing

Tablet 22 21 12 15

Smartphone 35 34 19 14

Hotels generate income and profit from this both directly (booking) andindirectly (sharing). For this reason guests expect to be able to use theirdevices in the hotel as well and to do so without limitations and extra cost.

The 2013 research of Hotels.com [42] found that internet access andWi-Fi is the 3rd most important expectation of guests in case of hotelswhile being the 1st in case of hotel rooms. The next research by Hotels.comin 2015 confirmed the leading position of Wi-Fi [43]. The survey (n=4700)determined that 25% of leisure tourists and 49% of occupational touriststhink that Wi-Fi should be a standard service in hotels.

The other common manifestation of lack of access is opening hours,which represent the eagerness to provide service. In this regard chainhotels produced the majority of complaints, roughly twice that ofindividual hotels (Graph 4). The suspected rationale for this is the greateroperating flexibility of independent hotels. This is explained by the factthat the general managers of independent hotels have more decisionmaking autonomy than their corporate (e.g. chain or hotel managementcompany maintained) counterparts [44]. In smaller independent hotelsthe owner also often participates in running the hotel.

Courtesy (3%) and understanding (2%) are overall seldom the maincauses of guest dissatisfaction and appear in the same ratio at chain andindependent hotels.

Similarly rare (2%) is competence among the main cause amongcomplaints. Here however there is a significant, two and a half timesdifference in the frequency of emergence (Graph 4). The likely reason for

39

this is that in the case of chain hotels both the organizational structureand work distribution are standardized, which translates to standardizedjob descriptions as well.

3.4 The consequences of dissatisfaction

4. 4. 1. Growing dissatisfaction

The main cause of complaint was the single cause of guestdissatisfaction in only 184 cases. This is 13.3% of all complaints. Inaddition to the main cause, guests listed one additional cause of theirdissatisfaction in 36% of the cases, two in 21.8%, three in 17.7% and fourin 7.4% of the cases. 41 guests listed 6 or more additional causes, which3.8% of all cases. That is 3897 causes in total, which lead to 1382complaints. The number of supplementary inconveniences in a cause andeffect relationship with the main cause was 1231. Based on theirdistribution, the defining sources of dissatisfaction in connection to themain cause of complaint are as follows:– a lack of quick and eager help (responsiveness 29%);– missing or partially fulfilled promised compensation (reliability 17%);– shortcomings in substitute service – usually another room (tangibles

15%);– the behavior of employee(s) dealing with the complaint (courtesy 14%);– the professionalism of the transaction (competence 9%);–other (access, communication, credibility, security, understanding: 16%).

Dissatisfied guests become more critical. From the text of thecomplaints in 1284 cases it was obvious that the new cause ofdissatisfaction was distinct in time from the main and supplementarycauses of complaint. Events prior to the main cause were recalled by only21 guests. Of this, 14 were in connection to the approachability of thehotel (access). Parking space (tangibles) and rooming needs based onactual health status (understanding) were recalled in 2 cases each, whilelack of responsiveness was remembered in 3 cases. In the other 1263cases additional inconveniences and/or further shortcomings – separatefrom the main slight – discovered and cited by the guests came later.

Later discovered shortcomings in tangibles cover all areas of main hotelactivities. Of the 421 cases in total, 49% were in connection to theaccommodation function, primarily the room itself. 18% were in the areaof Food&Beverage – primarily the food – and 33% were deficiencies andfaults of material assets discovered in the other service areas. Thecomposition is exceptionally varied from air conditioning through tornshower curtain to broken jacuzzi.

All 269 cases of access were without exception complaints about thepoor quality of internet access and/or lack of Wi-Fi and/or the fact thatit has to be paid for.

40

Source: original research

Guests relate more critically to hotel personnel as well after a sufferedslight. They are less likely to tolerate the lack of competence (81 cases),responsiveness (69 cases), reliability (54 cases) and understanding (24cases), insufficient verbal and non-verbal communication (44 cases) andare especially sensitive to shortcoming in courtesy (139 cases). For guestswho received poor quality in the personal components of service as well,the whole hotel can become untrustworthy [45], which is confirmed bythe loss of credibility in 117 cases.

Close to half (31 cases) of the total 66 cases of security were complaintsabout the child safety of hotel swimming pools and complementarywellness units. Further 27 cases were about food safety while 8 othercases were in connection with property security (damage to personaleffects, theft).

The number of inconveniences were almost the same – chain (618),independent (645) –, while the ratio of causes had only a 2% deviation inchain and independent hotels. In relation to measured ratios within thesame sample where the deviation was higher than 2%, three components– competence +5%, security +4%, tangibles +3% – were higher inindependent hotels compared to chain hotels. A greater deviation wasencountered in two cases – access +7% and credibility +15% –, but herechain hotels performed worse than independents. The causes of thedeviations are the same as those discussed before in the description ofmain causes.

4. 4. 2 Guest reaction

59% of the comments and the related 2211 complaint causes – 56.7%of the total – were serious enough that the guest left the hotel orthreatened with negative consequences. The distribution of results ofdissatisfaction12 are shown on Table 5.

59% (815) of the comments contained one or more offenses (2211)which compelled the guest to retaliate. On average guests had to sufferclose to three (2.7) slights before they acted in a way that was detrimental

12 Individual consequences were taken into account in connection to the causes ofdissatisfaction

Table 5Distribution of retaliation methods based on the number of causes(n=2.211) (%)

do not come back dissuade others recommend move into

form the hotel another hotel another hotel

49,4 29,9 13,9 6,8

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to the hotel. The guests clearly indicated in their comments what they willdo to get back at the hotel. Based on the feedback four kinds of retaliationmethod could be identified. The distribution of these methods can be seenin table 5.

Dissatisfied guests are understandably uneager to return to the placewhere they received a slight instead of the expected experience (Graph 5).Therefore if the hotel is unable to restore the guest’s satisfaction on site,it loses a potential return customer. On the long run this is a loss in thecase of leisure tourists as well, since a hotel is an investment made withan estimated operating time measured in decades. Occupational touristshowever book several nights in the same hotel on company level and in thesame time period. Guests in a decision making role at their company cancause a loss of many nights to the hotel, as one specific complaintpromises: „… I suggested to my company to cancel the corporateagreement with you, …”.

Leisure and occupational tourists can both cause losses to the hotel bydissuading others from staying there. The intention to cause a loss is clearand heightened if the name of the alternative hotel is specifically stated.

Graph 5Number of negative results of each complaint cause (No.)

Source: original research

42

Source: original research

Immediate loss is only caused however if the guest moves to another hotel.Among the 6 complaints about monetary security there were 6 caseswhere the hotel – in spite of acknowledging the complaint as justified – didnot refund the room price for the nights not spent there due to relocation.

It should be noted that there is a significant number of comments (theirratio is 41%) which include the guest’s dissatisfaction, but the guest didnot think it necessary to threaten with negative consequences despitesetting the rating to „poor” or „terrible”. The distribution of commentsbased on the included consequence is shown in table 6.

Table 6The composition of comments by the presence of mentioned consequenceand the hotel’s operational type. (No.)

negative consequence Negative consequence

in Chain Hotels in Independent Hotels sum

present absent present absent

Florance 57 22 269 129 477

Budapest 247 236 134 108 725

Prague 19 9 92 60 180

sum 323 267 495 297 1382

5. Conclusion

H1 The leading offense which made up 35.5% (1382 cases) ofcomplaints was accompanied by 1231 additional inconveniences (31.6%).Separately from these, guests received inadequate service afterwards in1263 (32.4%) cases. The ratio of main reasons resulting in a comment isalmost the same as the ratio of mostly later suffered or detected slightswhich were distinct from them in time. The first hypothesis of the researchwhich predicted that guests become more critical after being offended ispartially fulfilled.

H2 According to the majority of the comments (59%), guests cancel oravoid the repetition of their hotel visit and urge others to do the same. Whenguests stop using the hotel’s services, the hotel’s revenue is directlydiminished. Dissuading others from booking at the hotel can lead to a dropin the number of guests. The communication of dissatisfied guests thereforeindirectly lead to decreased business. Results prove that the majority ofdissatisfied guests attempt to avenge their slight by causing a loss of revenueto the hotel. Therefore the second hypothesis of the research is fulfilled.

H3 For chain hotels, the ratio of guest complaints that threaten withnegative consequences was 54.7% within their own sample. This samevalue for independent hotels was higher at 62.5%. Based on this, the thirdhypothesis of the research was fulfilled.

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Negative guest reactions were caused by slights suffered in the contextof courtesy, credibility, reliability, responsiveness and understanding.These categories – holding an emotional content – are the componentsdefining service quality that comprised 56% of causes for complaints.They can all be grouped into the idea of hospitality and carry ConradHilton’s philosophy: „It has been and continues to be our responsibility tofill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality” [46, p.13].

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[28] Parasuraman, A. – Berry, L. L. – Teithaml, V. A., A conceptual model of servicequality and its implications for future research, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49. No.4, 1985, pp. 41-50, DOI: 10.2307/1251430[29] Parasuraman, A. – Zeithaml, Valarie A. – Berry, Leonard L., SERVQUAL:A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality,Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64, No.1, 1988, pp. 12-40, ISSN 0022-4359[30] Luk, S. T. K. – Layton, R. (2002), Perception Gaps in customer expectations:Managers versus service providers and customers, The Service Industries JournalVol.22, No.2, 2002, pp. 109-128, ISSN 0264-2069[31] Quinn, C., Top 10 Cities in Europe: Readers’ Choice Awards 2014,downloaded from http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-11-04/top-10-cities-in-europe-readers-choice-awards-2014 (last accessed July 07, 2015)[32] IH&RA-UFTAA Code of Practice, downloaded fromhttp://www.fiavet.lazio.it/public/ Docs/IHRA-UFTAA-code-of-practice1%20(al%2011-9-2001).pdf (last accessed July 30, 2015)[33] Kátay, Á. – Kiss, R. The River Danube as an Attraction in Positioning HotelsAlong its Riverside Capitals, Turizam, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2015, pp. 56-71 ISSN 1821-1127[34] 10 European Cities that are Way Cheeper this Summer, downloaded fromhttp://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/istanbul-is-europe-s-cheapest-city-for-a-summer-vacation-according-to-tripadvisor-study (last accessed July 30, 2015)[35] TripIndex Least Expensive International Cities, downloaded fromhttp://ir.tripadvisor.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=854353 (last accessed July30, 2015)[36] Price of Travel, downloaded from http://www.priceoftravel.com (last accessedJuly 30, 2015)[37] Kátay, Á., A szállodák minősítésének sajátosságai az Európai Unióban,Modern Geográfia 2014/III. pp. 37-54 ISSN 2062-1655[38] Hotelstars Union, downloaded from http://www.hotelstars.eu/fileadmin/download/kriterien/Hotelstars_Union-_Classification_Criteria_2015-2020.pdf(last accessed July 30, 2015)[39] Hotel Cost Estimating Guide, downloaded from http://www.hvsdesignservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-Hotel-Cost-Estimating-Guide_Digital2.pdf (last accessed July 30, 2015)[40] Choi, S. – Mattila, A. S., Hotel revenue management and its impact oncustomers’ perceptions of fairness, Journal of Revenue and Pricingmanagement, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2004, pp. 303-314, ISSN 1476-6930[41] PhoCusWright, Mobile End to End: The Impact of Mobile Across Search-Shop-Buy-Share, downloaded from http://www.phocuswright.com/Free-Travel-Research/Mobile-End-to-End-The-Impact-of-Mobile-Across-Search-Shop-Buy-Share#.Vbsr_fOqqko (last accessed July 31, 2015)[42] Hotels.com, The Most Valuable Hotel Amenities In Global Survey, downloadedfromhttp://press.hotels.com/en-us/news-releases/travelers-rank-complimentary-breakfast-and-free-wi-fi-as-the-most-valuable-hotel-amenities-in-global-survey/(last accessed July 31, 2015)[43] Hotels.com, Top Hotel Amenities, downloaded from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/23925441747150471/ (last accessed July 31, 2015)[44] Hodari, D. – Struman, C. M. Who’s in Charges Now? The Decision Autonomyof Hotel General Managers, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration,

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downloaded from http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1622&context=articles (last accessed July 31, 2015)[45] Woodside, A. G. – Metin, K. (eds.), Tourists’ Perceptions and Assesment,Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2014, ISBN 978 1 78350 618 7[46] Cockerell, L., The Customer Rules: The 39 essential rules for deliveringsensational service, Profile Books Limited, London, 2013, ISBN 978 1 78125 122 5[47] Kotler, P.: Marketing menedzsment, Műszaki Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2001,ISBN: 9631630269[48] Zeithaml, V. – Parasuraman, A. – Berry, L. L., Delivering Quality Service:Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations, THE FREE PRESS, New York,1990, ISBN: 0-02-935701-2

Ákos KátayKodolányi János University of Applied SciencesInstitute of Tourism and Business StudiesH-8000 Székesfehérvár, Fürdő utca 1.Hungaryakatay@kodolanyi.huwww.kodolanyi.hu

Ákos Kátay is assistant professor at the Kodolányi János University ofApplied Sciences received his bachelor’s degree from the College ofHospitality and Catering. He works in college education since 1998 with23 years of industry experience in hospitality. He acquired his master’sdegree at the University of Pécs as Master of Human ResourcesOrganizing. He is currently working on his PhD thesis at the University ofPécs.

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The Case of Research Aspects Arising fromEmployee Satisfaction and Engagement forthe Benefit of the Employer

Marie Štěpánková

University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic

Šárka Bendová

University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic

Metodi Koralov

New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract

We have targeted this article in order to reveal a correlation among resulting 14research aspects (scales), which describe particular factors of employeesatisfaction and employee engagement. The outcome acknowledges an old goodtruth that good conduct, human respect and mutual esteem support goodperformance results and employee satisfaction in the workplace, as well. Ourcurrent research deals with gender deviations between satisfaction andengagement of employees in the industrial corporation. The research was executedin Bulgaria with the total of 2,140 participants, out of which 1,550 employeesdelivered questionnaires filled in correctly. This confirms the return rate of 72.4%. We used a questionnaire based on the Focal EE as the EngagementQuestionnaire (see the web page on http://www.custominsight.com/employee-engagement-survey/sample-survey-items.asp).It was translated into Bulgarian, modified for both male and female employees,and standardized for the use in the conditions of the industrial corporation.

Keywords: Employee Satisfaction; Employee Engagement; Employee SatisfactionFactors

JEL Classification: J28, M54, J82

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1. Introduction

1.1 Theoretical Framework of Satisfaction as a Constructand as a Research Object in Industrialand Organizational Psychology

Employee satisfaction research has been considered a relevant task atresearch surveys in organizations for years. The reason for sucha contention is neither academic nor purely practical. Both these aspectshave been present having a variety of significance. From the academicpoint of view employee satisfaction is a phenomenon related to a manpsyche up to his relationship with various aspects of work, living over hispersonal happiness, or misery, it is actually a degree of his motivation tobe able to implement his overall potential. A high ratio of satisfaction isa guarantee of the sound mental health of an individual in terms ofpsychology. From the practical point of view the situation does not appearless important. Well, employee satisfaction collocates with effectivenessof different corporate departments, effectiveness of the whole company, itsfinancial prosperity, competitive advantage, personnel turnover,recruitment of new employees, etc.

Job satisfaction shall not be considered a one-dimensional construct.An individual employee of the firm can become deeply satisfied witha single aspect of the job, on the other hand, and very dissatisfied withanother. For instance, the man can enjoy a party of his colleagues verymuch, feels closely connected to them, wishes to be in touch with themalso at times outside working hours, and simultaneously can be stronglydissatisfied with his pay and working conditions.

1.2 Definitions of Employee Engagement and EmployeeSatisfaction

Our research target is not to provide an exhaustive compendium ofdefinitions related to the given subject. Therefore, we have selecteda certain number of definitions dealing with the employee engagementand employee satisfaction after our literature search. William Kahnprovided the first formal definition of employee engagement as “theharnessing of organisation members’ selves to their work roles; inengagement, people employ and express themselves physically,cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” [6].

The CustomInsight.com where we used the free questionnaire fromdefines employee satisfaction and engagement as “The extent to whichemployees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to theorganization, and put discretionary effort in to their work”. In contrast tothe engagement definition, the employee satisfaction has been cited as„The extent to which employees are happy or content with their jobs, andwork environment” [3]. We have drawn from the experience of the

49

exclusive research study processed by ourselves on basis of the themedgender diversity and performance in the industrial corporation. Thus, wecharacterized conclusions of our research study in the following manner:The results of this research support the contention that gender diversityat the business unit level positively affects financial performance, whichappears to have substantial practical implications. This financial utilitysuggests that making diversity an organizational priority may result infinancial benefits [1]

1.3 Managerial View on Employee Engagement

The latest trends within the HR Management field solve the need ofa qualified labour force and performance management. As Legnerova &Fucikova say, this is the necessity to be managed including the employeediversity:

Employee diversity is necessary for better company results. This wasmentioned by Legnerová, as well: “In a team of different types of peopleand personalities, employers then need to learn to work with suchdiversity – and thus, master diversity management. Managers meetdiversity quite often, although they may not always be explicitly aware ofit. International or multicultural teams or interdisciplinary teamsnoticeably exemplify diversity in the workforce” [7]. In view of the potentialcompany needs’ servicing, Stritesky submits the following in terms of theHR field thereto:

Then we structure the HR department in both organizations into thefront office and back office. Back office is represented by expert teams oradministrative departments. Expert teams are mostly focused on thedevelopment, knowledge management and training, compensation andbenefits, or recruitment. Furthermore, there are departments dealing withHR Controlling, HR projects and information management. Front office isrepresented by a newly created function of the HR Business Partner. Hisdaily workload is characterized by little differences in each organization[8]. It is apparent that companies endeavour for a close approach to realneeds of their internal clients as well as employees. Subsequently,inherent employee diversity and engagement help increase the companyproductivity together with the particular tools used.

2. Target of the Research

Our research is targeted to clarify relations and engagement establishedamong miscellaneous aspects of the employee satisfaction with the job. Weare going to accentuate the functions a posterior the strongestdependencies.

50

3. Hypothesis

The hypothesis of our research reflects our claim that overall aspects ofemployee satisfaction and engagement have developed correlations amongeach other, and some of these correlations will play a high account role.We are expecting that communication represents a factor that will havemore significant or extensive amount of significant correlations.

4. Methods

This research study was executed based on the customized orderorganized by the industrial corporation, i.e. a power company in Bulgaria.The number of questionnaires comprised in the study amounts to 1,550respondents in total, of whom 76 % (1,153) were males, and 13 % (202)were females out of the total number of participants. The number of 10 %(154) out of the questioned personnel did not indicate their gender at all.The return rate of the questionnaires accounted to 72.4 %. All of therespondents occupy the non-managerial job positions in the powercompany. Majority of the respondents occupy the operational workpositions such as electricians, fitters, and meter readers. Thequestionnaire consists of 79 questions arranged in fourteen independentcategories. The questionnaire was translated from English into Bulgarian,tested in the Focus Group, and modified to conform to the power companyworking conditions. We assume that it fully confirmed its efficiency viaresults we achieved in the research study. The scales indicated thestatistical significance in the form of existing deviations between male andfemale groups of employees being employed by the Bulgarian powercompany.

5. Data Collection and the Questionnaire

The questionnaire was used based on the sample questions of theexample of the company Custom Insight [3] for the purpose ofexamination of the employee job satisfaction and gender differencesbetween male and female employees. We selected this type of thequestionnaire because of its qualities fully covering overall categories ofemployee satisfaction and engagement used for the power companyexamination. It was actually built up on basis of the well-knownquestionnaire of the Focal Employee Engagement, which has been inoperation more than twenty years. Questions were extracted from the webpage known as Custom Insight [3]. The range of the evaluation scaleidentifies the limits from 0 to 10, where 0 stands for I fully disagree withthe statement, 10 stands for I fully agree with the statement. Thequestionnaire uses a standard form of the numerical scale ranging from

51

Source: Authors’ processing

1 – 5. For the reason of the research, participants being technicallyeducated employees, we selected the scale ranging from 0 – 10, whichsimulates the analogy with percentages in a more compact manner, thusit better corresponds to their mentality.

The questionnaire was structured into 14 specific categories. Eachcategory consists of numbers of questions. The Sample Group consistedof male and female employees of the power company in Bulgaria. Allsample group members work in non-managerial positions, mostly in thepositions such as technicians, fitters, and meter readers, which form atleast 85 % of all staff in the power distribution company. In terms of ourtime schedule, we carried out the research procedure from October toDecember 2014 by approximately 20 members of the staff. Powercompany employees were obliged to attend a regular training on eachrecipient’s workplace organized twice a year. Each of the trainings tooka half of the workday, and the staff had to reply to questions askedpreviously six months ago. The questionnaire was structured into 14specific categories. The scope of the categories enumerates them in thefollowing Table 1 below.

Table 1Specific Questionnaire Categories

# Category No. of Items

1 Feedback 7

2 Teamwork 2

3 Opportunities for Growth 6

4 Work/Life Balance; Stress and Work Pace 6

5 Quality and Customer Focus 7

6 Fairness 6

7 Mission and Purpose 6

8 Respect for Management 6

9 Compensation 5

10 Respect for Employees 7

11 Workplace and Resources 6

12 Performance and Accountability 5

13 Communication 4

14 Personal Expression/Diversity 6

The paper questionnaires were collected and delivered to our colleagueto the headquarters of the power company in Sofia, Bulgaria, for theirfurther processing and computerization. The output results were depicted

52

by Microsoft Excel Processor. The further data processing andmaintenance was executed in the Statistical Package for the SocialSciences (SPSS). Testing the scales (criteria) was elaborated in SPSSCronbach’s alpha in order to find out the scales’ consistency. Means andstandard deviation were used to rank satisfaction categories as well todefine norms. T-tests were performed to explore the possible differencesbetween male and female employees in order to scrutinize normboundaries. The relative aspect means the division of every scale to thenumber of items. So, we managed to accomplish two goals such as:1. Instead of working with raw means and standard deviation, we

converted them into the original scale of supplying answers. Hence, theresults rank between 0 and 10 for every scale.

2. This simple transformation enabled us to carry out the directcomparison between scale (categories) results.Each category can indicate the category itself. Herein, the category

manifests its relevancy as there is a variety of categories equipped with analternative quantity of questions. In order to achieve the Mean per eachof the categories, it was necessary to average replies to questions bya diverse quantity of items. Thereinafter, it was possible for us to comparethe scales among each other.

6. Empirical Part of Analysis, Results and Discussion

We have used the questionnaire in our research, which results can besummarized in fourteen different scales, i.e. aspects of satisfaction, inother words. Hence, it is logical that questions are arising, whether theredo exist correlations among those 14 aspects. From one point of view, wecan expect that a majority of them will correlate among each other withthe statistical significance. On the other hand, it is not less probable thatcorrelations among them will not be equally strong. Thus, there arequestions to be concerned: “What aspects should the relationsbeexpressed in the strongest way, and which aspects should they beexpressed among the least strongly? Do the correlations correspond withreality? “See the actual matrix in Table 2.

Correlations among all aspects are expressed in 91 correlations in total,which implies us to a necessity to organize them in a certainconfiguration. Therefore, we are proposing the following configuration seethe Table 3 below:

53

**C

orre

lati

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vel(2

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Sou

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Corr

elat

ions

Tab

le2

Fee

dbac

kr

1,7

13**

,794**

,650**

,495**

,805**

,540**

,631**

,532**

,725**

,571**

,510**

,660**

,692**

p,0

00

0,0

00

,000

,000

0,0

00

,000

,000

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,000

,000

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,000

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Tea

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ork

r,7

13**

1,7

34**

,601**

,536**

,687**

,514**

,571**

,466**

,633**

,489**

,491**

,611**

,621**

p,0

00

,000

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,000

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Gro

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r,7

94**

,734**

1,7

31**

,616**

,789**

,608**

,700**

,609**

,754**

,612**

,604**

,709**

,729**

p0,0

00

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Wor

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tres

sr

,650**

,601**

,731**

1,6

55**

,715**

,626**

,655**

,648**

,701**

,631**

,589**

,628**

,663**

p,0

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r,4

95**

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1,6

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,721**

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,576**

,643**

,566**

,676**

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,601**

p,0

00

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Fai

rnes

sr

,805**

,687**

,789**

,715**

,610**

1,6

16**

,734**

,640**

,813**

,619**

,598**

,732**

,748**

p0,0

00

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0,0

00

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Mis

sion

Pu

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er

,540**

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,608**

,626**

,721**

,616**

1,7

39**

,626**

,731**

,677**

,738**

,701**

,666**

p,0

00

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Res

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r,6

31**

,571**

,700**

,655**

,667**

,734**

,739**

1,6

81**

,841**

,676**

,727**

,778**

,766**

p,0

00

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0,0

00

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,000

Com

pen

sati

onr

,532**

,466**

,609**

,648**

,576**

,640**

,626**

,681**

1,7

60**

,670**

,652**

,686**

,704**

p,0

00

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Res

pec

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r,7

25**

,633**

,754**

,701**

,643**

,813**

,731**

,841**

,760**

1,7

34**

,741**

,830**

,854**

p,0

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0,0

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0,0

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00

Wor

kpla

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dR

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rces

r,5

71**

,489**

,612**

,631**

,566**

,619**

,677**

,676**

,670**

,734**

1,6

95**

,725**

,710**

p,0

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Per

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andA

ccou

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bilit

yr

,510**

,491**

,604**

,589**

,676**

,598**

,738**

,727**

,652**

,741**

,695**

1,7

72**

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p,0

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Com

mu

nic

atio

nr

,660**

,611**

,709**

,628**

,623**

,732**

,701**

,778**

,686**

,830**

,725**

,772**

1,8

40**

p,0

00

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0,0

00

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0,0

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Per

son

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nan

dD

iver

sity

r,6

92**

,621**

,729**

,663**

,601**

,748**

,666**

,766**

,704**

,854**

,710**

,721**

,840**

1p

,000

,000

,000

,000

,000

,000

,000

,000

,000

0,0

00

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,000

0,0

00

Feedback

Teamwork

Growth

WorkFamilyStress

QualityandCustomerFocus

Fairness

MissionPurpose

RespectforManagement

Compensation

RespectforEmployees

WorkplaceandResources

PerformanceandAccountability

Communication

PersonalExpressionandDiversity

54

Source: Authors’ processing

As we can see from the result generalization above, there is the leastnumber of relatively weak correlations, and those with very strongcorrelations besides. Medium or strong correlations do entirelypredominate there. Very strong correlations are the most appealing forus. Thereby, we are proposing their detailed description bellow:

The strongest correlations expressed can be found between thefollowing categories:� Feedback and Fairness (r = 0.81)

It is obvious that people who receive a clear good-quality andearly feedback have also a feeling that they are treatedhonestly and correctly. This contention is rather logicalespecially if we take account of the fact that a good-qualityfeedback conceals in it a fair attitude and communication ofthe things as they are void of any attempts to hide, ormanipulate the reality.

� Fairness and Respect for Employees (r = 0.81)Fairness is strongly connected to the feeling that employeesare treated with respect. This result is rather logical especiallyif we take account of the fact that fairness is based on theprevious definition an integral part of the demonstration ofthe respect.

� Respect for Management and Respect for Employees (r = 0.84)We consider it very intriguing that respect for managementand respect for employees are very strongly connected, i.e. themore the employee feels he/she is respected, the more he/sheappreciates his, or her managers and vice versa.

� Respect for Employees and Communication (r = 0.83)Respect the employee feels from others surrounding him, orher, is strongly connected to the quality communication, aswell. The more quality, the communication is, the better areemployee relationships in the workplace together with themutual respect.

� Respect for Employees and Personal Expression and Diversity (r = 0.85)Personal expression and diversity of ideas cannot simply existwithout any effort and special attention paid from the

Table3Configuration of Gathered Correlation Coefficients

Value Significance Number of Relations

r < 0,50 Relatively weak correlation 4

0.50 < r< 0.65 Medium correlation 33

0.65< r< 0.80 Strong correlation 48

r > 0.80 Very strong correlation 6

55

management side. The support of a personal opinionexpressed, respect for others’ opinion even though it is notconsistent with the manager’s opinion require a targetedcorporate policy and corporate culture. Therefore, it is notunexpected that personal expression and diversity of ideashave a strong correlation with respect for employees.

� Communication and Personal Expression and Diversity (r = 0.84)This is a phenomenon, which we consider a very intriguing. Itillustrates that communication and respect for employees aswell as personal expression and diversity is for employees ofthe organization mutually very significant. For plenty of peoplethese are very presumably synonyms meaning that we areable to express ourselves and our critical ideas, and berespected for that in case that the communication proceeds ona high level. Though, it has not always been the true in reality.

7. Practical Consequences and Recommendations

It is of a great concern for employees to feel respect for them. If themanager is not certain of what and how to take necessary steps in orderto make his/her employee feel respected, and the manager is uncertainhow to actually do it to make the employee appreciate him/her for suchdecisions, then results of our research can become a very beneficial pointof initiation. It is a matter of how we have to be fair to others, disclose allnecessary information to everyone who is in need of it, pays respect toopinions of others even though they may differ from ours. We are not goingto provide a 100% cooking recipe for respect, but we are concerned thatit is a method which with the certainty enhances the possibility to makeemployees feel both as important as to feel respect for their management.On the other hand if we wish to be held by our employees high, thequickest is to respect and accept them, and to communicate all thenecessary with them.

8. Conclusion

Research surveys on employee satisfaction and employee engagementhave become one of the current emphasized and highly prioritized trendsin surveys held within the field of industrial and organizational psychologyat present, whereas their content is focused both on theoretical as well aspractical values. Thus, we take the view that what we hypothesized asoverall aspects of employee satisfaction have developed correlationsamong each other was proved. In particular, the second part of ourhypothesis focuses on this fact in a more relevant way. Above all, we foundout that some of these correlations play a crucially high account role for

56

managers and leaders in a general company doing business regardlessthe fact that the company is either in the industrial or in the servicesector. Discovering the correlations among miscellaneous kinds ofemployee satisfaction enabled us theoretical insights into variouscomponents of human psyche. However, our article displayed practicalimplications especially in the industrial company and non-managerial jobpositions above all; we assume that our findings and conclusions can beapplied in a generalized form to every field of business, i. e. both to travelindustry and related service sectors, as well.Simultaneously, it can beexplicitly rewarding at the human resource management – primarily, atthe exploitation of the full employees potentials, and at the optimizationof the correlations established among the corporate entity– management– employee.

References

[1] Baal, S., &Harter, J. K. (2014). Gender diversity, business-unit engagement,and performance. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 21(4), 354.Downloaded from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/1609522012?accountid=17203 (last accessed on August 25, 2015).[2] Clark, A.et al. (1996). Is job satisfaction U-shaped in age? Journal ofOccupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 69, pp. 57–81.[3]CustomInsight. EmployeeEngagementSurveys. Downloaded from http://www.custominsight.com/employee-engagement-survey/(last accessed onApril 29,2015).[4] Deci, E. L.et al. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in thework organizations of a former eastern bloc country: A cross-cultural study ofself-determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 27(8), pp. 930–942.Downloaded from http://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201278002 (last accessedon August 22, 2015).[5] Ilardi, B.et al. (1993). Employee and Supervisor Ratings of Motivation – MainEffects and Discrepancies Associated with Job-Satisfaction and Adjustment ina Factory Setting. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol.23, No. 21, pp. 1789–1805. Downloaded from http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1993.tb01066.x(last accessed on August 7, 2015).[6] Kahn, W. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement andDisengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 33, No.4, pp. 692-724.[7] Legnerova, K., Fucikova, J. Management Diversity. The 8th International Daysof Statistics and Economics: Conference Proceedings, pp. 841-850. Downloadedfrom http://msed.vse.cz/msed_2014/toc.html (last accessed on July 27, 2015).[8] Stritesky, M. (2013). Transformation of HR Organizational Structures in CzechOrganizations. The 7th International Days of Statistics and Economics:ConferenceProceedings, pp. 1353-1363. Downloaded fromhttp://msed.vse.cz/msed_2013/ en/toc (last accessed on July 27, 2015).[9] White, S. L. (1987). Human resource development: The future through people.Administration in Mental Health, Vol. 14, No. 3-4, pp. 199–208. Downloaded fromhttp://doi.org/10.1007/BF00819637 (last accessed on August 22, 2015).

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Ing. Marie ŠtěpánkováUniversity of Economics, PragueFaculty of Business AdministrationDepartment of Human Resource ManagementNám. Winstona Churchilla 4,Prague 3, 130 67 Prague 3, Czech Republicmastepank@gmail.comhttp://www.vse.cz/

Marie Štěpánková has been studying in her 2nd year of the doctoralstudies in HRM Department. Currently, she has been working on herdissertation theses background data and is involved in the professionaltopics related to HRM and problems associated with employeeexpatriation. She communicates fluently in English and Bulgarian.

Bc. Šárka Bendová, MSc.University of Economics, PragueFaculty of Business AdministrationDepartment of Human Resource ManagementNám. Winstona Churchilla 4Prague 3, 130 67 Prague 3, Czech Republicbendovasa@seznam.czhttp://www.vse.cz/

Šárka Bendová has been studying in her 2nd year of the doctoral studiesin HRM Department. Currently, she has been working on her dissertationtheses background data. Her professional interest is dedicated to HRM,employee satisfaction and engagement and employer branding. Further toshe has been acting as a member of the Department of Management andMarketing in the University of Business in Prague since 2010. She collegespecializes on HRM studies taught in English. She communicates fluentlyin English and Russian.

Metodi Koralov, PhD.New Bulgarian University, Sofia, BulgariaDepartment of Cognitive Science and Psychology1618 SofiaBulgariamkoralov@nbu.bgwww.nbu.bgMetodi Koralov is an assistant professor at New Bulgarian University(NBU). He graduated as a master of psychology followed by his PhD inpsychology at the “St. Kliment Ohridski” Sofia University. He hasspecialized in the fields of developmental, organizational and social

58

psychology. At NBU he teaches courses related to social anddevelopmental psychology as well as methodology and statistical methodsin psychology. His interests range from academic research and teachingto psychological and consultative practice.

59

Short Essay

Heritage and Tourism: Reconceptualisationof the Past as an Experience

Nikola Naumov

King’s College London

Abstract

This short essay explores the changing theoretical conceptualisations ofheritage and heritage tourism. The paper argues that heritage tourism hasundergone an ontological expansion during the last few decades and now focusesmore on the way we experience heritage sites rather than static consumption ofheritage resources. Therefore, as the paper concludes, a new framework is needed,which to better reflect the realities of modern tourism industry and to incorporatethe growing awareness of the value of intangible experiences, memories andemotions as tourism products.

Key words: heritage, tourism, interpretation, intangibility, experience

JEL Classification: Z320

1. Introduction

While the theoretical and conceptual interrelationships between heritageand tourism have been debated at enormous length during the past fewdecades (e.g. [3], [18], [27], [28]), the critical formulation of heritagetourism has remained fragmented across a broad number of academicdisciplines. Various approaches to heritage rooted in anthropology,cultural studies, history, archaeology, architecture, and museum studieshave contextualised the way we understand and define heritage tourism.Moreover, these disciplines have also shaped the values we attach on bothtangible and intangible resources of the past [1], [11], [16], [25], [30].Recognising the interdisciplinary nature of heritage and the spectaculargrowth of tourism at a global scale, it is at least arguable that thetheoretical conceptualisation of heritage tourism has been constantlyreformulated. The growing interest for ‘heritageisation’ [17] as a resourcefor urban development and economic revitalization involves the emergenceand development of new products. What we have witnessed during the

60

past decade, particularly since the increased popularity of intangibleheritage products (see [31], [34]), reveals how heritage tourism haschanged from simple visits to heritage sites to heritage experiences, whichput an emphasis on the process of engagement between, the involvementof senses and emotions as integral parts of the tourism product. In thisshort critical discussion, I argue that the debates around the conceptualnotions of cultural heritage and heritage tourism need to evolve and toincorporate new approaches to heritage development, management andinterpretation. Following Smith [30], I argue that heritage should beunderstood as an experience rather than a static physical asset.Recognizing the importance of values we attach to heritage sites,I conceptualize heritage as:

.. a group of resources inherited from the past, which people identify,independently of ownership, as a reflection and expression of theirconstantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions1.

1.1 Heritage, tourism and the ‘Authorised Heritage Discourse’

Since ancient times people have travelled to heritage places for cultural,spiritual or religious purposes [18], [32]. Visits to to ancient temples,sanctuaries and shrines are largely considered as the earliest forms ofheritage tourism and largely considered as the very first heritageexperiences [9]. The rise of the contemporary experience economy and thechanging patterns in international travel and tourism since the post-warperiod stimulated the formation of the ‘heritage industry’ and thedevelopment of objects, sites and practices solely for tourist consumption[20]. As noted by Barbara Kirshenblatt – Gimblett [22, p.151], “heritageand tourism are collaborative industries, heritage converting locationsinto destinations and tourism making them economically viable asexhibits of themselves. Many ‘tourist-historic cities’ have emerged whichfurther reveals the importance of heritage tourism for urban developmentand economic prosperity [3]. Within the contexts of urban revitalizationand economic diversification, heritage has been defined as a “historic-cultural capital” [12] which has to be preserved for its aesthetic andeconomic values (see also [26]). Hence, heritage tourism is simplyconceptualised as a form of tourism that involves “people visiting heritageplaces or viewing historical resources” [32,p.4]). Both definitions put anemphasis on the tangible dimensions of heritage as a static andimmutable legacy of the past, which is to be preserved, conserved anddeveloped as a tourism product. Such understanding of heritage largelyechoes the classic archaeological definitions of the past that tend toprivilege tangible over intangible, emphasize monumentality and focus on

1This definition of heritage is given by the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on theValue of Cultural Heritage for Society. See more at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?CL=ENG&CM=8&NT=199

61

old and aesthetically pleasing [6], [27]. Moreover, such approach toheritage advocates ‘conserve as found’ policy [35] and refers to the conceptof ‘Authorised Heritage Discourse’ (AHD). As introduced by LaurajaneSmith [30], the AHD defines heritage as material artifacts, places, sitesand landscapes from our past, resources that we have inherited and haveto preserve for future generations. The discourse is centred uponmonumentality and argues that heritage is fragile and non-renewable andtherefore has to be conserved because its ‘innate value’. It is ‘authorised’by the body of experts who have the duty to legitimise and sanction theofficial narrative of how heritage should be managed and developed. Atnational level, this is exemplified with national policies and legislationswhich provides the development and management frameworks for culturalheritage preservation. At global level, the AHD can also be found atUNESCO World Heritage Convention [33]. The Convention, widelyregarded as the prime normative instrument for cultural heritagepreservation, has been criticised for being ‘eurocentric’, ‘restrictive’ and‘exclusive’ [24,p.9], [8], [23] because it primarily concerns the physicalprotection of build monuments and sites rather than any expressions ofliving culture, values and meanings attached to them.

The concept of AHD, as argued by Smith [30], tends to privilegeconservation, materiality and archaeology thus excluding the socio-cultural and political characteristics of heritage resources. As noted byHoward [21,p.6] heritage is not only a set of architectural monuments but“anything that someone wishes to conserve or collect, and to pass on tofuture generations”. There are various ways in which we might attemp tointerpret this definition but perhaps the key point to note is that heritageis a subject of various interpretations and multiple processes of meaningmaking. This in turn means that heritage is not ‘done’ and produced onlyin the past; rather, it is a subjective continuosly developed notion which isexhibited, managed and manifested in the present (see for example, [7],[14],[15]). Following Edensor [10] and Kirshenblatt – Gimblett [22], heritageexemplifies the representation and manifestation of our culture and largelyconstructs national identities, social cohesion and cultural legitimacy. Inthe words of Smith [30,p.26], heritage is ‘not so much a thing as a set ofvalues and meanings’. In her view, heritage is a symbolic, emotionalembodiment of our past comprised of activities that involve remembering,commemoration and communication of memories, traditions and socialvalues. In this paper, I argue that these intangible aspects of heritageshape the way we understand, exhibit and manifest our culture andhistory and they also reformulate how we assemble various moments ofour past as tourism products. Socio-cultural, political and ideologicalinfluences brings the needs of a more holistic understanding of what isembraced, presented and consumed as heritage. Moreover, they furtherreveal the ongoing transformation of heritage tourism from visits tocultural sites and monuments to heritage ‘experiences’ focused onintangible cultural practices, rituals and performances.

62

1.2 Heritage as an experience: (re)conceptualising heritagetourism?

As illustrated in the above section, heritage is a subject of variousdefinitions and interpretations, largely based on the way we construct,negotiate and exhibit our cultural values and meanings. The continuousdevelopment of heritage tourism has facilitated the ‘tourismification’ ofheritage resources and, most importantly, the development of ‘heritageexperiences’ – products that combine certain elements of learning andentertainment into one product suitable for a wide range of audiences. Inthat respect, heritage resources are largely commodified and stagedexperiences emerge in order to satisfy the demand for ‘visitableexperiences’ [5]. These experiences involve the active participation ofpeople and stimulate the creation of more intangible memories andemotions. More conceptually defined, heritage experiences tend to beinherently focused on social and cultural values as a performance inwhich certain representations of the past are continually (re)created andnegotiated by different actors [36].

Having emphasised the shift from material culture to heritageexperiences, I argue that heritage has undergone an ontological expansionto incorporate new approaches to conservation, interpretation anddevelopment. Hence, heritage tourism has also been influenced by thesechanging dimensions. As the definition of heritage has evolved over time,the theorisation of heritage tourism also needs to shift directions. Toooften heritage tourism has been framed as an activity that bringscommodification, destruction and loss of authenticity (e.g. [2], [20], [25])but it should also be read in less pejorative terms and regarded asa resource for revitalization, empowerment and community development.Nothing can detract from the central fact that heritage tourism is nowmore about experiencing heritage than consuming heritage andintangibility is equally important as monumentality. Therefore, it isdifficult to escape the conclusion that heritage tourism needs a newframework which to better reflect the realities of modern tourism industryand to incorporate the growing awareness of the value of intangibleexperiences, memories and emotions as tourism products.

References

[1] Al Sayyad, N. (2001). Consuming Tradition, Manufacturing Heritage: GlobalNorms and Urban Forms in the Age of Tourism. London: Routledge;[2] Ashworth, G. (1994) From History to Heritage – From Heritage to Identity. In:Ashworth, G. & Larkham, P. (Eds.) Building a New Heritage: Tourism, Culture andIdentity in the New Europe (pp. 13-30). London: Routledge.[3] Ashworth, G. & Tunbridge, J. (2000). The tourist-historic city: retrospect andprospect on managing the heritage city. London: Elsevier

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[4] Ashworth, G. & Tunbridge, J. (2014) Heritage and tourism: Between practiceand theory? In Kaminski, J., Benson, A. M. & Arnold, D. (2014). ContemporaryIssues in Cultural Heritage Tourism. (pp.19-32).London: Routledge.[5] Dicks, B. (2003) Culture on Display. The Production of Contemporary Visitability.Berkshire: Open University Press.[6] Carman, J. (2002) Archaeology and Heritage: An Introduction. London:Continuum.[7] Daugbjerg, M. & Fibiger, T. (2011). Introduction: heritage gone global.Investigating the production and problematics of globalised pasts. History andAnthropology, 22, 135–147.[8] Di Giovine, M. (2009) The Heritage-scape: UNESCO, World Heritage andTourism. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.[9] Du Cros, H. & McKercher, B. (2015) Cultural Tourism. London: Routledge.[10] Edensor, T. (2002) National Identity, Popular Culture and Everyday Life.Oxford: Berg[11] Featherstone, M. (1990). Global culture: An Introduction. In: M. Featherstone(Ed.) Global culture: Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity (pp.1-14). London: Sage.[12] Fusco Girard, L. & Nijkamp, P. (2009). Narrow Escapes: Pathways toSustainable Local Cultural Tourism, In Fusco Girard, L. & Nijkamp, P. (Eds.)Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Local Development (pp.1-13). Farnham: Ashgate.[13] Gillman, D. (2010). The Idea of Cultural Heritage. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press.[14] Graham, B. (2002). Heritage as knowledge: capital or culture? Urbanstudies,39 (5-6), 1003-1017.[15] Graham, B. & Howard, P. (2008). Introduction: heritage and identity. InGraham, B. & Howard, P. (Eds.) The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage andIdentity. (pp.1-19). Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing[16] Harrison, R. (2013). Heritage: Critical Approaches. London: Routledge.[17] Harvey, D. C. (2001). Heritage pasts and heritage presents: temporality,meaning and the scope of heritage studies. International Journal of HeritageStudies, 7(4), 319-338.[18] Harvey, D. (2008). A History of Heritage. In Graham, B. & Howard, P. (Eds)Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage and Identity (pp.28–56). London:Ashgate.[19] Harvey, D. (2015) Heritage and scale: settings, boundaries and relations.International Journal of Heritage Studies, 21(6), 577-593[20] Hewison, R. (1987). The Heritage Business: Britain in a Climate of Decline.London: Methuen.[21] Howard, P. (2003). Heritage: Management, Interpretation, Identity. London:Continuum International Publishing Group.[22] Kirshenblatt – Gimblett, B. (1998). Destination Culture: Tourism, Museums,and Heritage. Berkeley: University of California Press.[23] Labadi, S. (2013) UNESCO, Cultural heritage and Outstanding Universal Value.Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.[24] Londres Fonseca, M. (2002). Intangible Cultural Heritage and MuseumExhibitions. ICOM UK News 63, 8-9.[25] Lowenthal, D. (1998) The Past is a Foreign Country – The Heritage Crusadeand the Spoils of History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.[26] Lowenthal, D. (2005). Natural and cultural heritage. International Journal ofHeritage Studies, 11(1), 81-92.

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[27] Orbasli, A. (2000). Tourists in Historic Towns. London: E & FN Spon.[28] Park, H. Y. (2014). Heritage Tourism. London: Routledge.[29] Porter, B. (2008) Heritage tourism: Conflicting Identities in the Modern World.In Graham, B. & Howard, P. (Eds.) The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritageand Identity (pp.267-283). Aldershot: Ashgate.[30] Smith, L. (2006) Uses of Heritage. London: Routledge.[31] Smith, L. & Akagawa, N. (Eds) (2009) Intangible Heritage. London and NewYork: Routledge[32] Timothy, D. J. (2011) Cultural Heritage Tourism: An Introduction. Bristol:Channel View Publications.[33] UNESCO (1972). Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Culturaland Natural Heritage. Available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/,Accessed on 12 Sep, 2015.[34] UNESCO (2003). Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible CulturalHeritage. Paris, France: UNESCO.[35] Waterton, E. (2010) Politics, Policy and the Discourses of Heritage. Hampshire:Palgrave Macmillan.[36] Winter, T. (2007) Post-Conflict Heritage, Postcolonial Tourism: Culture, Politicsand Development at Angkor. New York: Routledge.

Nikola NaumovDepartment of Geography,School of Social Science & Public PolicyKing’s College LondonLondon, United Kingdomnikola.naumov@kcl.ac.uk

Nikola Naumov is a PhD Candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant atDepartment of Geography at King’s College, London, UK. His researchinterests are in cultural and historical geographies, heritage tourism,sustainable development and religious tourism with a particular interestin post-socialist countries and Eastern Europe. He has presented his workat conferences in United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Italy, Norway, Turkey andHong Kong.

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Industry News

The University College of Business in Prague Became Partof a New Educational Holding

The new Educational Holding Academic Alliance, Inc., in whose portfo-lio belong the College of Business and Law (Originally College of Businessin Ostrava and the College of Information Management, Economics andLaw from Prague), the Pan-European University in Bratislava and othereducational institutions at all levels of education mainly in the Moravian-Silesian region, completed another acquisition process. University Collegeof Business in Prague became part of the Holding at the beginning of Sep-tember 2015.

The strategy of the Academic Alliance together with partners PROS-PERITY Holding, Inc. and the original shareholders of VŠMIEP Inc. con-firms the current trend of efficiency in the organization of higher educa-tional institutions for one purpose: to prepare a strong economicbackground of educational entities that will prepare students optimallythan ever for their future professional career. Linking several higher edu-cational institutions in the Academic Alliance aims to create a dominanteducational institution of Central European character built among otherson joint educational programs, scientific research projects and publica-tions, and strong personal background. The significant social demand oninterconnection study and practice particularly linked to the company’swith diverse manufacturing and technical focus and service orientationcontribute to this strategy.

The study programs of the University College of Business in Prague fo-cusing on tourism and air transport services; with nearly 3,000 studentsthey complete a range of the strong programs in the Holding with highadded value and quick return of tuition fees in the form of high-qualityemployment in the labor market.

The new owner and founder and the new Board of Directors of the Uni-versity College of Business in Prague guarantee students a creation of aneven stronger foundation for quality education and career growth; Aca-demicals a confident further development of the University College. ‘Ourintention is to achieve through linking of educational institutions syner-gy and other innovative and competitive effects to enhance and increasethe added value for our customers - our students. We would like toachieve this goal, among other things, by a development of the right prod-ucts. Thus, study fields, tailored to the needs of the labor market andskill-oriented education with practical features without memorizing andcongestion by redundant information. On several occasions, our team ofexperts also confirmed that one of the primary objectives of the Holdingis guiding students to entrepreneurship, inspiring thinking with ideas that

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will have a chance at life; here we see the prospect and potential of the ac-quired knowledge through higher education. Higher education has longbeen not about education for education, but to ensure that our graduatescan push through and will become a useful and respected manager oreven set up his/her own business, “says Ing. Radan Jünger, Chairman ofthe Board of the Academic Alliance, Inc.

For more information, please contact:Ing. Radan Jünger,Chairman of the Board of the Academic Alliance, Inc.Mobil: 603 252 328E-mail: radan.junger@vsp.cz

Erasmus Week in October 2015 at the University Collegeof Business in Prague, Czech Republic

Between October 12th and 16th, 2015, University college of Businessin Prague hosted colleagues from partners´ universities in frame of Eras-mus Week. Professors from Latvia, Hungary and Poland held interestingand informative lectures for our students. The lecture of Agita Livina fromLatvia was focused on Management Approaches for Tourism Developmentin National Parks. The lecture of Attila Kurucz from Hungary dealt withStrategic Management (Creative a Vision) and Performance Management(Effective Small Business Management). Katarzyna Czaińska from Polandwas talking about Ratio of Interculturalism of Organization – Advantagesand Disadvantages of Implementation. All lecturers were kindly welcomedby both, students and staff.

(pj)

International Workshop Tourism in Global World, October14, 2015 at the University College of Business in Prague,Czech Republic

The international workshop “Tourism and Business in Global World”was held on 14th October 2015 at the University college of Business. Thesession was opened by the Vice-Rector for International Collaboration andExternal Affairs doc. Alžbeta Kiráľová, PhD., who welcomed all partici-pants, introduced the University College of Business and was the masterof ceremony. In the first part of the workshop Attila Kurucz fromKodolányi Janos University, Hungary presented a paper Some new As-pects of the Change Management at the SMEs; Šárka Bendová from theUniversity College of Business in Prague discussed Research Aspects Aris-ing from Employee Satisfaction and Employee Engagement for the Bene-fit of the Employe; Iveta Hamarneh from the University College of Busi-

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ness in Prague gave a paper under the title Tourism and Jordan – CurrentSituation and Future Development; Petr Houška from the University Col-lege of Business in Prague presented a paper New International Standardsand ISO 18065:2015 Tourism and related Services – Tourist Services forPublic Use provided by Natural Protected Areas Authorities – Require-ments; Katarzyna Czaińska from the European University College of Busi-ness in Poznań focused on Ratio of Interculturalism of Organization – Ad-vantages and Disadvantages of Implementation; Agita Livina from theVidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Latvia focused on Impacts ofSummer Schools on Region´s Economic and Social Development; ViktorŠafařík from the University College of Business in Prague discussedPrague, Vienna and their Surroundings: Comparison of the Tourism De-velopment Trends; Andrej Malachovský from Matej Bel University, BanskáBystrica, Slovakia focused on The Czech and Slovak Tourism in Systemicand Structural Crisis. Selected presentations will be published in one ofthe next issues of the Journal of Tourism and Services.

(pj)

Tourism in Africa: A Tool for Development

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Casa África have joint-ly released a new regional report to assess the current situation of Africa’sTourism Product Development. Presented at 21st Session of the GeneralAssembly of UNWTO in Medellín (Colombia), this report proposesa UNWTO methodology for Tourism Product Development that can be ap-plied to African destinations.

Recent tourism performance across Africa is analyzed and futureprospects are identified, thus demonstrating the importance of a well-de-fined strategy for tourism product development, so as to explore and lever-age the array of opportunities that the international tourism sector offersto African destinations. It further discusses the prospects and challengesof tourism development for African nations, describes a specific approachfor developing unique tourism products and presents case studies of spe-cific projects that are helping shape Africa’s tourism context.

It’s available for free download from the following links: http://affili-atemembers.unwto.org/ publication/am-regional-report-volume-four-tourism-africa-tool-development

(unwto)

WYSE Travel Confederation Millennial Traveller ReportSeries

The Millennial Traveller report series is based on the Millennial Trav-eller survey, which was conducted in mid-2014 in order to capture

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a snapshot of the behaviours, experiences and attitudes of the millennialtraveller, a young, yet influential demographic group of travellers born be-tween the early 1980s and the early 2000s.

The series presents an analysis of responses regarding destinations,travel services, travel motivations, trip characteristics, use of the internetand mobile technology, plus attitudes towards current political and socio-economic issues through a number of short reports.

Each report is focused on a specific topic or sector of the youth travelindustry and highlights issues of importance for the millennial traveller,as well as opportunities for interacting with and serving millennials.

The Millennial Traveller II report, the second in WYSE Travel Confed-eration’s Millennial Traveller series, focuses on four types of servicesutilised by millennial travellers: travel agents, airlines, tour operators andhostels. The report discusses:� Planning and booking preferences of millennials� Factors that influence millennials’ travel purchases and decisions� Millennials’ opinions on products and services

Free executive summaries of the Millennial Traveller reports are avail-able at www.wysetc.org/research. The full reports are available free ofcharge to members of WYSE Travel Confederation. Non-members maypurchase the full reports at the WYSE website.

(wm)

New Project Approved for Financial Support by Fund forDevelopment of Science of the University Collegeof Business in Prague

University College of Business in Prague supports since 2012 research,development and other creative activities of academic staff and studentsfrom the Fund for Development of Science. The main objective of the Fundis to support development of scientific research activities of the academ-ic staff and students. For the period of 2015 - 2016 the projects FoodTourism Influence on SMEs Development in the Czech Republic was se-lected for financial support. To the researchers’ team belongs Ing. IvetaHamarneh, PhD., Head of Department of Tourism Economy, doc. Ing. Alž-beta Kiráľová, PhD., Vice Rector for International Affairs & External Re-lations, Ing. Eva El Bourkhissi, Department of Tourism Economy,Ing. Lukáš Malec, PhD., Deputy Head of the Department of InformationTechnologies and Analytical Methods, and 2 students of the master´s de-gree program.

(ih, ak)

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Emerging Innovative Marketing Strategies in the TourismIndustry, Hershey: IGI Global, 2015

The continuous growth and expansion of the travel sector has broughtabout a greater need to understand and improve its various promotionaltactics. Effectively employing these methods will benefit all manner oftravel destinations and attract a larger number of tourists to these loca-tions.

Emerging Innovative Marketing Strategies in the Tourism Industry isan authoritative title comprised of the latest scholarly research on effec-tive promotional tools and practices within the tourism sector. Featuringexpansive coverage on a variety of topics from the use of information tech-nology and digital tools to tourist motivation and economic considera-tions, this publication is an essential reference source for students, re-searchers, and practitioners seeking research on the latest applications,models, and approaches for promotion in the travel industry.

This publication features valuable, research-based chapters acrossa broad range of relevant topics including, but not limited to, consumersearch behavior, customer relationship management, smart technologies,experiential tourist products, leisure services, national brand images, andemployment generation.

(IGI Global)

The EU’s Tourism Education & Training Offer – a MappingExercise and Performance Check – Conference in Brussels,October 21st, 2015

On 21st October in Brussels, the European Commission, CSES andNECSTouR organized the final conference presenting the results, high-lighting good practice and providing recommendations from the study un-dertaken in all 28 EU Member States on the training and education sys-tems for tourism and their performance against industry needs.

The European Commission - DG Growth - Tourism Unit has selectedthe consortium composed of CSES, NECSTouR and Fondazione Campusto study the education and training offer for the tourism sector and assessits performance in delivering the qualitative skills needed on the labormarket.

28 national experts are undertaking research in each country, high-lighting good practice and identifying gaps in order to prepare a Europeanreport with recommendations and an action plan to further transfer anddeploy best practice. The report is expected to provide an up-to-date as-sessment of the adequacy of current training provision, especially in thelight of the emerging requirements of the industry.

During the conference best practices were presented in panel discus-sion. Doc. Ing. Alžbeta Kiráľová, PhD., Vice Rector for International Af-

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fairs & External Relations and PhDr. Stanislav Voleman, President of theCzech Guides Association and Area Representative to Eastern Europe &Caucasus of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations present-ed the Tourist Guide study program provided by the University College ofBusiness in Prague as a best practice. This program was developed ina close collaboration of the University College of Business in Prague andthe Czech Guides Association.

(NECSTouR, ak)

3rd International Conference on Business & Management inConnected Era: New Horizons and Challenges (ICBM@2015),Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The 3rd International Conference on Business & Management in Con-nected Era: New Horizons and Challenges was held from 17th to 19th No-vember 2015 at the Skyline University College, Sharjah, United Arab Emi-rates.

This conference provided an opportunity for the meeting of great mindsand acted as platform for generation, evolution, screening and adoptionof ideas in the field of business, management, and technology.

The conference attempted to create a forum for academicians, re-searchers and practitioners from all over the world to meet, exchangeideas and network in order to deliberate on the challenges and opportu-nities for businesses in the contemporary world.

Doc. Ing. Jindřich Ploch, PhD., Rector of the University College of Busi-ness in Prague presented a research paper under the title Modernizationof Air Transport Services in the Tourism Sector. Co-author of this paperis prof. Ing. Zdeněk Žihla, CSc. Doc. Ing. Alžbeta Kiráľová, PhD., ViceRector for International Affairs & External Relations of the University Col-lege of Business in Prague presented the research paper Innovating theCzech and Slovak Tourism through Creative Tourism. Co-author of thispaper is doc. Ing. Andrej Malachovský, PhD.

(ak)

New Member of the Editorial Board

Newly distinguish colleague Dr Edith M Szivas joined the EditorialBoard of Journal of Tourism and Services from November 2015.

Dr. Edith M Szivas is a Visiting Professor at the International Centre forHotel and Resort Management, University of West London, UK andDirector of UAE based SeaStar Consultancy. She is a tourismdevelopment specialist with 25 years of international experience. Herexpertise bridges industry and academia. Prior to moving into full-timeconsultancy she was a senior tourism academic at University of Surrey

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UK where she was Director of Business School PhD Program and Directorof Tourism MSc Programs (Tourism Planning and Development, TourismManagement and Tourism Marketing). Her consultancy work started witha tourism development and marketing strategy project of a spa townwhich led to projects in tourism policy, planning and strategy, nationallevel tourism education and human resources development and luxuryhotel management and branding.

Dr. Szivas has worked on tourism development and tourism humancapital development related projects in the GCC and Middle East, NorthAfrica, Europe, Asia and Africa with international organizations and forpublic and private sector clients. Her work with UNWTO spans twodecades and she is a UNWTO.TedQual Auditor.

Dr. Szivas holds a Bachelor Degree in International Trade -Import/Export, an MSc in Tourism Planning and Development from theUniversity of Surrey, United Kingdom and a PhD in Tourism also from theUniversity of Surrey United Kingdom.

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Press Releases

Madrid, Spain, 9 November 2015PR No. 15085

Tunisia to host the 4th UNWTO International Conferenceon Tourism and the Media

Building stronger partnerships between tourism destinations and themedia will be the topic of the 4th UNWTO International Conference onTourism and the Media, to be hosted in Tunisia on 12-13 November 2015.

The conference is organized with the support of CNN International andcounts on the participation of key media and tourism sectorrepresentatives. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between tourismauthorities and the media community and to reflect on how to bettercommunicate in critical circumstances. The key note speech will bedelivered by Jim Bittermann, CNN Senior European Correspondent.

“Working alongside the media and facilitating their access toinformation is highly important for destinations worldwide”, said Mr. Rifai.“Together with the Tunisian Government, I trust that this event will helpus advance stronger media partnerships in tourism”, he added.

“The objectives of the Tunisian government are clear; we want to makeof our country a leading destination in the international scene. The imageof Tunisia is that of a country with 3.000 years of history; a country whichhas been at the crossroads of many civilizations and which have shapedour people; a people known for its openness, tolerance, warmth andhospitality” said Minister Elloumi Rekik.

The ‘Tourism and the Media’ Conference series constitute a majorinitiative and reflect the commitment of UNWTO to engage with the mediacommunity worldwide. Previous conferences were held in Croatia, Egyptand Portugal and addressed topics such as ‘Tourism in the Headlines’,‘Partnering with the Media in challenging times’ and ‘How the media isshaping the news’.

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 4 November 2015PR No. 15082

UNWTO to hold the 1st Global Conference on Wine Tourismin Georgia in 2016

The 1st UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism, to be held in theKakheti wine region from 7-9 September 2016, was officially launched byUNWTO and the Georgia National Tourism Administration on the occasionof the World Travel Market in London.

As explained by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, who led thepresentation with the Head of Georgian National Tourism Administration,George Chogovadze and the Georgian Ambassador to Spain, ZurabPololikashvili, “Wine tourism represents a growing segment with immenseopportunities to diversify demand. In the case of Georgia, this potential iswell-known and we are very pleased to be holding the first UNWTO GlobalConference on Wine Tourism in the country”.

“Georgia’s unique wine-making traditions date back 8,000 years andare part of UNESCO’s intangible heritage, creating the ideal base to hostthe Wine Tourism Conference. Herewith, the country’s recent success inattracting a growing number of tourists, its development in terms oftourism products, branding and marketing present an excellent platformto share best practices, experience and knowledge¨ said DimitryKumsishvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development ofGeorgia.

Gastronomy and wine have become key components for experiencingthe culture and lifestyle of any destination and a growing travelmotivation. To foster the development of this segment UNWTO haslaunched in September 2015, the UNWTO Gastronomy Network.

Additional info:UNWTO AM Report Vol. 4 ‘Global Report on Food Tourism’

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 2 November 2015PR No. 15081

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the EuropeanBank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) partner tofoster inclusive and sustainable tourism

UNWTO and the EBRD have signed an agreement to work jointly inpromoting inclusive and sustainable tourism as a driver of socio-economicgrowth. Advancing resource efficiency and promoting youth inclusion aretwo of the major priorities of the agreement.

The inclusion of youth in the tourism sector through training andemployment opportunities, resource and energy efficiency, and capacitybuilding for SMEs are among the key areas covered by the agreement.UNWTO and the EBRD will also cooperate in identifying best practicesand in knowledge sharing.

The EBRD President, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, said “Tourism is a majorcontributor to the economies of many EBRD countries of operations. Thispartnership will enable both organisations to work together, with both thepublic and private sector, to promote sustainable and inclusive practicesin the tourism industry. The EBRD aims in particular to promote youthinclusion in the industry in regions where young people are facingsubstantial challenges in participating in the economy due to skillsmismatches and limited access to training opportunities.”

“The tourism sector is making a fundamental contribution to thecurrent economic recovery and can play a leading role in advancinginclusive development, namely in terms of job creation. By partnering withthe European Bank for Development and Reconstruction we will be ableto create opportunities to generate more and better employmentopportunities while supporting the transition of the sector to a moresustainable path” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

The agreement was signed in the framework of the EBRD’s commitmentfor supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism in the countries ofoperation of the Bank, particularly in the Southern and EasternMediterranean region and the Western Balkans. The cooperation willbenefit from UNWTO’s experience and expertise in the areas of educationand training through the UNWTO.Themis Foundation and of sustainabilitythrough initiatives such as the Hotel Energy Solutions (HES) and theCollaborative Actions for Sustainable Tourism (COAST) project.

The EBRD, owned by 64 countries and two intergovernmentalinstitutions, is supporting the development of market economies anddemocracies. Follow them on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

Useful links:European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Tourism Driving Trade, Fostering Development and Connecting People

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UNWTO / European Commission Directorate-General Development andCooperation Guidebook “Sustainable Tourism for Development”

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications and Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91-567-8100Fax: (+34) 91-567-8218

EBRD principal media adviser: Svitlana PyrkaloTel: (+44) 207 338 7105

Madrid, Spain, 30 October 2015PR No. 15079

International tourist arrivals up 4% driven by strong resultsin Europe

International tourist arrivals grew by 4.3% in the first eight months of2015 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, fuelledby strong results in Europe and consolidating the trend of recent years.International tourists (overnight visitors) travelling the world betweenJanuary and August 2015 reached 810 million, 33 million more than inthe same period of 2014.

Europe, the world’s most visited regional destination, recorded a robust5% increase in international tourist arrivals, the highest across all regionsand a notable result for a rather mature region. Asia and the Pacific, theAmericas and the Middle East all enjoyed 4% growth, while limited dataavailable for Africa points to an estimated 5% decrease in the number ofinternational tourists.

“Sustained growth in international tourism is very positive news for allas the sector increasingly contributes to creating jobs, promoting tradeand investment, developing infrastructure and fostering inclusiveeconomic growth. This is particularly true in recent years, when tourismhas been instrumental in supporting the economic recovery of manycountries and in generating new jobs” said UNWTO Secretary-General,Taleb Rifai.

“Yet, we should not be complacent. We need to continue advancingfundamental issues such as travel facilitation and connectivity whileplacing sustainability at the core of our action. As world leaders prepareto meet in Paris next December for the 21st Session of the Conference ofParties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(COP21/CMP11) and following the approval of the 2030 Agenda for

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Sustainable Development by the UN General Assembly in September2015, sustainability must be at the forefront of the tourism agenda”, headded.

Regional ResultsA very busy summer season contributed to the remarkable results

of Europe where international arrivals increased by 5% between Januaryand August 2015. The euro area continues to benefit from a weakercurrency and a sustained economic recovery. Central and Eastern Europe(+7%) rebounded from last year’s decline. Northern Europe (+6%),Southern Mediterranean Europe (+5%) and Western Europe (+4%) allrecorded sound results for subregions with many mature destinations.The 28 countries of the European Union (EU-28) boasted 6% more arrivalsthis period, exceeding the regional average.

Asia and the Pacific recorded a 4% increase in international arrivalsthrough August. Oceania (+7%) led growth, followed by South-East Asia(+6%), with Thailand showing a strong rebound after weaker results lastyear. Arrivals grew by 4% in South Asia and by 3% in North-East Asia,where Japan continues to show extraordinary growth.

International arrivals in the Americas grew by 4% between January andAugust 2015, consolidating last year’s strong results. The appreciation ofthe US dollar has stimulated outbound travel from the United States. TheCaribbean and Central America (both +7%) saw the highest growth in theregion fuelled largely by the US and European markets. Results in SouthAmerica (+4%) were in line with the regional average, while in NorthAmerica (+3%) growth was weighed down by weaker arrivals in the UnitedStates.

Limited available data for Africa points to a 5% decline in arrivals, withNorth Africa decreasing by 10% and Sub-Saharan Africa by 3%. Internationaltourist arrivals in the Middle East grew by an estimated 4%, consolidating therecovery that started in 2014. (Data for both Africa and Middle East shouldbe read with caution as it is based on limited available data.)

Currency fluctuations impact tourism demandAlthough demand has been positive overall, tourism flows have been

determined to some extent by the comparatively strong currencyfluctuations. Many destinations are benefitting from more favourableexchange rates, while others have become more expensive, but seen theirpurchasing power abroad increase.

Among the world’s top source markets, China continues to reportdouble-digit growth in outbound travel, benefiting Japan, Thailand, theUnited States and various European destinations. Among the otheremerging markets, India, South Africa and Egypt reported double-digitgrowth in tourism expenditure. Meanwhile expenditure from the RussianFederation and Brazil was significantly down, reflecting the economicconstrains in both markets and the depreciation of the Ruble and the Realagainst virtually all other currencies.

As for the traditional advanced economy outbound markets, data on

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international tourism expenditure reveal robust demand from the UnitedStates (+9%) and the United Kingdom (+5%), reflecting the strength oftheir economies and their currencies. Expenditure from both Germanyand Italy grew by 3%, while demand from France, Canada and Australiawas rather weak, partly as a result of the depreciation of their currenciesagainst the US dollar.

Useful links:UNWTO World Tourism BarometerUNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 29 October 2015PR No. 15078

Destination branding, the Silk Road and young Asiantourism, addressed at the UNWTO activities in the WorldTravel Market

The first activity of UNWTO at this year World Travel Market is the9th UNWTO/WTM Minister’s Summit to be held on 3rd November. Underthe title ‘Destination branding: new challenges in a changing market’, theSummit will focus on the impact of social media and new business modelsin destination branding.

During the same day, UNWTO will present the first Global Conferenceon Wine Tourism, in cooperation with the Georgian National TourismAdministration to be held in Georgia in 2016. The activity is part of theUNWTO Gastronomy Network plan of action. The platform was officiallypresented in September 2015 during the UNWTO General Assembly inMedellin, Colombia and aims to promote information and knowledge tofurther develop Gastronomic Tourism.

Experiential travel and the booking revolution will also be tackledduring the Social Silk Road seminar that will take place on the 4th ofNovember, an activity which will be conducted in partnership with TravelPerspective. The seminar, under the title ‘Is the guidebook dead?’ aims atanalyzing how new trends are shaping the booking process and howemerging destinations are transitioning into a digital context.

Finally, UNWTO will join PATA at a side event to discuss ‘How do youngAsian travelers step out of the crowd’. As the rise in global tourism will bedriven by young travelers, particularly from the Asian continent, thesession will try to provide strategies to destinations in order to cope withthis phenomenon.

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Useful links:UNWTO Programme of Activities at WTM

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 23 October 2015PR No. 15065

UNWTO kicks off the official celebrations in Spainof the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations

Ahead of UN Day on 24 October, the World Tourism Organization, theonly UN Specialized Agency with Headquarters in Spain, welcomed all UNagencies, funds and programmes based in the country to mark theoccasion as the first activity of the official Spanish celebrations of theUnited Nations’ 70th Anniversary (Madrid, Spain, 23 October 2015).

“Today we think as one, we act as one, we feel as one and we reflect onthe achievements and future challenges as one family. I strongly believethat the UN is one of the most significant achievements of mankind;a system which may not be perfect, but embodies the highest values ofhuman ideals and strives to achieve them. On UN Day we celebrate theUN and its core objectives – peace, social progress and respect for humanrights”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, welcoming the UNcolleagues working in Spain.

The celebration will continue on 24 October, UN Day, with an eventgeared to the public, set to take place in Madrid’s Conde Duque culturalcentre, and the official visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon toSpain between 28 and 29 October.

2015 equally marks Spain’s 60th year of membership in the UN. A totalof 14 UN agencies, funds and programmes have representation in Spain:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); UnitedNations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), United NationsSupport Base in Valencia (UNSB-V); United Nations Millennium Campaignin Spain; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); United NationsUniversity Institute; United Nations Support Office for the InternationalDecade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015; United Nations Relief andWorks Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); UnitedNations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); International LabourOrganization (ILO); World Health Organization (WHO) - WHO Office forHealth Systems Strengthening; World Tourism Organization (UNWTO);

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The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC, LN Spain), United NationsWorld Food Programme (WFP).

Useful links:Tourism and the Sustainable Development GoalsUnited Nations Seventieth AnniversaryOfficial celebration of UN Day in Spain (available in Spanish only)

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 20 October 2015PR No. 15073

On World Statistics Day, UNWTO calls for more and bettertourism data

UNWTO called today on the occasion of World Statistics Day forimproved investment and coordination in data collection in the tourismsector (Madrid, 20 October, 2015).

Under the theme “Better Data. Better Lives,” the UN World Statistics Dayis celebrated to raise awareness of how official statistics help decisionmakers develop informed policies that impact millions of people. Improveddata sources, sound statistical methods, new technologies and strengthenedstatistical systems enable better decisions and better lives for all.

“Robust tourism statistics are vital to guide sustainable development,monitor progress, evaluate impact, promote results-focused management,and highlight strategic issues for policy objectives. UNWTO calls uponnational governments to work towards building internationallycomparable and reliable tourism statistics, including Tourism SatelliteAccounts (TSA), in line with the UN approved guiding namely theInternational Recommendations, the International Recommendations forTourism Statistics 2008 and the Tourism Satellite Account:Recommended Methodological Framework 2008” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai

In a constant endeavor to provide guidance on the development oftourism statistics, UNWTO recently launched the following tools:� International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008

Compilation Guide, in cooperation with United Nations StatisticsDivision (UNSD)

� Measuring Employment in the Tourism Industries - Guide with Best

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Practices, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization(ILO)

� The Use of Statistics to Evaluate Tourism PolicyWorld Statistics Day is celebrated every five years in the United Nations

calendar to mark the many achievements of official statistics.

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 13 October 2015PR No. 15071

The 2015 UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit at World TravelMarket London will put a spotlight on destination brandingand how it has become an increasingly complex challenge(WTM London, Tuesday, November 3, 2015).

Destination management organisations are re-evaluating theirstructures and strategies to adapt to new market trends created by socialmedia and new business models, such as the so called “sharing economy”and the growing empowering of consumers.

Moderated by CNN journalist Richard Quest, Tourism Ministers andprivate sector leaders from around the world will discuss DestinationBranding: new challenges in a changing market.

The 2015 edition of the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit will focus on:� What makes a successful destination brand in today’s globalised media

landscape?� The links between nation branding and destination branding� The role of social media and consumers’ engagement in destination

branding� Reputation management and crisis communication� The changing role of destination marketing organisations; and� The contribution of the creative economy to destination branding

Confirmed speakers include;� Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism, Bulgaria� Mauricio Ventura Aragón, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica� Darko Lorencin, Minister of Tourism, Croatia� Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive Officer, Eurostar International� Noah Tratt, Global Senior Vice President, Expedia, Inc.

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� Lee McCabe, Global Head of Travel, Facebook� Nayef H. Al-Fayez, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan� Edward Zammit Lewis, Minister of Tourism, Malta� Magali Silva, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Peru� Issa Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority,

Qatar� Frantisek Palko, State Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Construction

and Regional Development, Slovakia� Derek Hanekon, Minister of Tourism, South Africa� Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry,

ZimbabweThe discussion will be further enriched by the participation of more

than 150 Ministers and aides poised to attend the event.“The rise of the new technologies, coupled with the global economic

downturn, has brought a paradigm shift as power moves fromgovernments to citizens and from companies to consumers. This changeis having a huge impact in the tourism sector and both destinations andcompanies need to adjust to new challenges”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

World Travel Market London, Senior Director, Simon Press, said: “TheUNWTO and WTM Ministers’ Summit is a fixture in the calendar forministers and private sector to debate the key issues facing the industry.Destination branding is becoming even more complex challenge asconsumers empowered by new business models such as the sharingeconomy and social media have an impact on a destination’s brand andreputation. I am delighted WTM is again able to facilitate such animportant conversation.”

Now in its ninth year, the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit is part ofthe World Travel Market London Ministerial Programme, bringing togetherTourism Ministers and leading tourism experts to debate each year keyissues affecting the sector.

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 1 October 2015PR No. 15070

UNWTO welcomes the G20 Tourism Ministers’ commitmentto promote more and better jobs

Recalling that tourism is one of the most dynamic and resilienteconomic sectors, Ministers of Tourism committed to maximize thepotential the sector has to generate jobs, particularly for women andyouth.

In line with the overall priorities of Turkish G20 Presidency –Inclusiveness, Investment for growth and Implementation – the meetingfocused on how tourism can create more and better jobs as a means toreduce inequalities at national and international level.

“Tourism has a major role to play in economic growth and culturalunderstanding” said the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, YalçınTopçu, recalling the objectives of the Turkish Presidency of the G20 andthe important role that tourism plays in the socio-economic developmentof Turkey.

“Today, though our economies have improved considerably, growth isstill subdued and unemployment remains one of our most pressingchallenges, particularly when it comes to the youth. Tourism can promotemore and better jobs, create opportunities for women and youth,stimulate entrepreneurship and the inclusion of SMEs into the tourismvalue chains” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai in his openingremarks to the Meeting.

The Deputy Director General of the International Labour Organization(ILO), Greg Vines, stressed that tourism “has the potential to furthercontribute to economic growth and job creation especially in lessadvanced regions” a factor that “gives tourism a key role in meeting theglobal challenges set by the 2030 agenda for sustainable development”.

G20 Tourism Ministers recalled that tourism accounts for almost 10%of the world’s GDP, 6% of global trade, one in eleven jobs in the world.Data from ILO shows that ‘accommodation and restaurants’, together withother ‘private sector services’ are expected to create jobs at the fastest rateof any sector in the economy for the next five years.

In view of the above, Ministers recalled that tourism creates jobs at allskills levels, not only directly in the sector, but through its value chain inmany other sectors and that it has a higher share of women and youthemployment and entrepreneurship as compared to the whole economy.

Ministers agreed on several actions, including:– To promote jobs for women and youth, stressing policies that address

women’s empowerment;– To advance the decent work agenda including the issues of wage

setting, social dialogue and social protection;– To create stronger links between the private sector, the public sector

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and education and training institutions to close the gap between theneeds of the market and education programmes;

– To enable cooperation between developing countries and G20 countriesto promote inclusive economic opportunities and job creation, witha particular focus on women’s education;

– To promote the integration of SMEs into the global economy;– To promote the value of employment in tourism to reflect more

accurately the opportunities and benefits of tourism jobs and to attractand retain talent in the sector; and

– To accelerate their efforts in the measurement of tourism employmentin the framework of the UN adopted Tourism Satellite Accounts and theInternational Recommendations on Tourism Statistics;

Useful links:G20 Tourism Ministers DeclarationThe T20 Initiative

Contacts:Principal Media Officer: Ruth Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications ProgrammeTel: +34 91-567-8100Fax: +34 91-567-8218

Madrid, Spain, 28 September 2015PR No. 15067

UNWTO welcomes the adoption of the SustainableDevelopment Goals

UNWTO welcomes the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and reiterates its commitment to work towards theimplementation of the Goals.

Tourism is one of the most dynamic economic sectors, with significantglobal reach, and can make an important contribution to the achievementof the SDGs, particularly in the areas of job creation, sustainableconsumption and production and the preservation of natural resources.

“Issues such as climate change, effective resource management, povertyreduction and inclusive growth need to be at the center of tourismdevelopment. Now that the Goals have been approved, it is time to step upour action, time to advance policies and business strategies that monitorand minimize the negative effects of tourism development and maximizeits positive impacts, namely through the distribution of its benefits amonghost communities” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

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The SDGs are a universal 17-goal plan of action for people, the planetand prosperity for all countries and require all stakeholders to act incollaborative partnerships. The SDGs were approved by the 70th Sessionof the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015.

Tourism is included in the SDGs as a target in Goal 8, Goal 12 andGoal 14:– Goal 8, on the promotion of “sustained, inclusive and sustainable

economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work forall includes as Target 8.9 “By 2030, devise and implement policies topromote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes localculture and products”.

– Goal 12 aimed to “ensure sustainable consumption and productionpatterns” includes as Target 12.b to “Develop and implement tools tomonitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourismwhich creates jobs, promotes local culture and products”.

– Goal 14 set to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas andmarine resources for sustainable development” includes as target 14.7“by 2030 increase the economic benefits of SIDS and LCDs from thesustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainablemanagement of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism”.

Useful InformationBrochure: Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (available in English)Tourism and the SDGs at unwto.org

Contacts:UNWTO Media Officer - Ruth Gomez SobrinoTel: (+34) 91 567 8160

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Medellín, Colombia, 14 September 2015PR No. 15061

UNWTO and ICAO enhance cooperation in support of the UNSustainable Development Goals

UNWTO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) haveannounced a new joint strategic statement on Tourism and Air Transportfor Development (Medellín, Colombia, 14 September 2015).

The Medellín Statement was agreed today at the first joint UNWTO/ICAOHigh-Level Forum on Tourism and Air Transport for Development, held onthe sidelines of the 21st UNWTO General Assembly in Medellin, Colombia.It highlights the potential of air transport and tourism to improving socio-

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economic prosperity and promote sustainable development in line with theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) expected to be agreed at the UnitedNations SDG Summit next week in New York.

“With increased connectivity warranting long-term growth for aviationand tourism, our interlinked sectors represent lasting opportunities forsocio-economic development. Yet if we are to harness these benefits,tourism and air transport must address persisting divergent policies andwork towards a stronger, integrated position on inter-sectorial issues suchas travel facilitation, market access, taxation or infrastructuredevelopment. As the global inter-governmental bodies responsible fortourism and aviation, UNWTO and ICAO are obliged to lead by exampleand pave the way for closer and more effective cooperation at all levels“said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, opening the Forum.

“There are tremendous benefits for States which can be derived fromoptimized air transport connectivity and local and regional tourismdevelopment,” commented ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu duringher opening Forum remarks. “This is true not only in terms of increasedbusiness activity and economic growth, but also improved generalprosperity and social welfare. With aviation set to double in flight andpassenger volumes in just the next 15 years, it is essential that Statesprepare today to reap the full benefits of this growth in the years ahead.”

The high-level policy-makers and regulators at the Joint Forumdiscussed challenges relating to policy convergence, the need forenhanced connectivity, market access, air transport competitiveness, andtravel facilitation.

“ICAO and the UNWTO have been actively engaged for some time inmaximizing the cooperative opportunities for aviation and tourism,”stressed ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu whenopening the UNWTO General Assembly. “These efforts have been aided byour private sector engagement through the Global Travel AssociationCoalition (GTAC), and they are critical to realizing both the long-termeconomic growth and prosperity benefits for States and the related targetsin the UN SDGs.”

Useful links:Medellín StatementWelcoming Remarks by Taleb RifaiWelcoming Remarks by Fang Liu21st UNWTO General AssemblyInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Medellín, Colombia, 14 September 2015PR No. 15060

President of Colombia opens the 21st UNWTO GeneralAssembly

Gathering more than 900 delegates from 120 countries, including over70 Ministers and Secretaries of State for Tourism, the 21st Session of theUNWTO General Assembly opened in Medellín, Colombia, in the presenceof President Juan Manuel Santos (14 September 2015).

In his opening speech, President Santos emphasized Colombia’s vasttourism offer and the country’s commitment to share it with the world ina sustainable manner: “We give tremendous importance to tourism in ourdevelopment plans and in our economy. The participants gathered heretoday know more than anyone how tourism can boost countries and be anagent of social transformation. In Colombia, so much so, that tourismnow is our second largest source of foreign exchange, surpassed only byoil. Indeed, with falling prices on oil and coal, we are looking to replace theincome from these smokestack industries with more environmentallyfriendly ones, such as tourism”.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who greeted theparticipants in a video message, welcomed the Assembly theme –‘fostering inclusive development and social transformation’ – and stressedthat “As one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the worldeconomy, tourism makes vital contributions to employment generation,poverty reduction, women´s empowerment, environmental preservationand peace building “ and said that looking ahead he will count on thesector’s full involvement “in achieving the Sustainable Development Goalswhich include, for the first time ever, targets related to sustainabletourism”.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, praised Colombia’scommitment to tourism as well as the country’s remarkabletransformation into one of the America´s fastest growing tourismdestinations, Mr. Rifai underscored how tourism, alongside it’s economicweight, also has the power to generate significant social benefits: “Onlythose that understand the connection between tourism and peace canappreciate the real value of travel and tourism”, said Mr. Rifai.

Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the Council of the InternationalCivil Aviation Organization (ICAO) highlighted the close relationshipbetween tourism and air transport: “In 2014, some 53% of tourists travelby air to reach their international destinations. We must recognize theimportant fact that divergent policies for air transport and tourismultimately hinder economic development”.

Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality of Zimbabwe andco-chair of the 20th UNWTO General Assembly, called upon the Assemblyto “emerge from Medellín with a greater resolve on how to protect our

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sector from all forms of threats and confirm it as a diplomatic bridge thatconnects people to people”.

Useful Links:Official Speeches (videos)Juan Manuel Santos (in Spanish)Taleb RifaiOlumuyiwa Benard AliuWalter MzembiFull video message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon21st UNWTO General Assembly

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Medellín,Colombia, 12 September 2015PR No. 15058

Education in focus ahead of the UNWTO General Assembly

Improving the tourism sector’s ability to nurture young talent was infocus at the UNWTO Forum on Talent Development in Tourism: Investingin Youth, which gathered in Medellín, Colombia, ahead of the 21stUNWTO General Assembly (11 September 2015).

As a labour intensive sector, tourism’s capacity to attract, retain anddevelop human capital is essential to its competitiveness. The first UNWTOForum on Talent Development in Tourism, organized by the UNWTOKnowledge Network jointly with UNWTO Affiliate Member University ofMedellín, brought together Colombian tourism students with representativesfrom the private and the public sector from around the world to explore howto better match supply and demand of skilled labour in tourism.

“Tourism and hospitality students, such as the young people gatheredhere today, are the future of the tourism sector. Today, our sector offersexcellent entry points into the job market, but we need to improve itscapacity to provide opportunities for long-term careers in order to helpmaximize tourism´s contribution to inclusive development”, said UNWTOSecretary-General, Taleb Rifai, opening the forum.

The same challenges were highlighted by Sandra Howard, Vice Ministerof Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Colombia, who emphasized theessential role of young tourism students in shaping and upholding theColombian tourism sector´s success.

As part of the forum, students from different Colombian institutionshad the opportunity to exchange views with the UNWTO Secretary-General on issues such as the inclusion of tourism ethics and

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sustainability in academic curricula, the role of innovation in tourism,and the sector’s ability to foster community development and peace.

During the panel discussions, participants emphasized that talentdevelopment in tourism depends on the joint efforts of tourism educatorsand institutions; the private sector; and public bodies. They furtherpointed out the important role that international organizations can playin this regard. Above all, participants stressed the need to provideopportunities for the development, implementation and reward ofcreativity and innovation by the workforce and prospect recruits.

At a subsequent meeting, the UNWTO Knowledge Network agreed to anaction plan to advance the issues identified during the presentations anddiscussion at the Forum.

Useful links:UNWTO Forum on Talent Development in Tourism: Investing in YouthPhotos from the Forum on FlickrUniversity of Medellín21st UNWTO General Assembly

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 10 September 2015PR No. 15057

21 million more international tourists in the first halfof 2015

The number of international tourist arrivals grew by 4% in the first halfof 2015 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.Destinations worldwide received some 538 million international touristsbetween January and June 2015, an increase of 21 million compared tothe same period of 2014.

Europe, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East all recorded 5%growth in international arrivals and the Americas 4%. Limited dataavailable for Africa points to an estimated 6% decrease in the number ofinternational tourists in the region. At the subregional level, theCaribbean and Oceania (both +7%) were the best performers, togetherwith Central and Eastern Europe and Central America (both +6%).

In spite of this overall growth, results by destination are rather mixed.Safety and security remain a global concern while the economic scenariois comparatively more volatile with the recovery of advanced economiescontrasting with the slowdown of emerging economies. Tourism demandhas also been impacted by lower oil prices and currency fluctuations.

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“These results show that, despite increased volatility, tourismcontinues to consolidate the positive performance it has had over the lastfive years and to provide development and economic opportunitiesworldwide”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “As UNWTOprepares to meet in Medellin, Colombia, for its 21st General Assembly,this is the appropriate moment to call for a stronger support to tourismas the sector has the potential to deliver on some of the most pressingchallenges of our time, namely job creation, economic growth and socialinclusion”, he added.

According to the UNWTO forecast issued at the beginning of 2015,international tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 3% to 4%worldwide for the whole year, in line with the long-term forecast of anaverage growth of 3.8% a year set for the period 2010 to 2020.

Regional ResultsEurope, the most visited region in the world, led growth and increased

international arrivals by 5%, benefiting from a weaker currency in theeuro area. Growth was driven by the recovery in Central and EasternEurope (+6%), while Western Europe, Northern Europe and SouthernMediterranean Europe (each +5%) all outgrew the worldwide average.

Asia and the Pacific recorded a 5% increase in international arrivals inthe first half of 2015, with Oceania (+7%) in the lead. Destinations inNorth-East Asia and South-East Asia (both +5%) reported rather mixedresults, led by Japan (+47% through July) and Thailand (+30% throughJuly). South Asia recorded a comparatively modest 4% increase in arrivalsafter two years of double-digit growth.

International arrivals in the Americas grew by 4% in the first half of2015, consolidating last year’s strong results. All four subregions recordedpositive growth, although with variations across destinations. The strongUS dollar fuelled robust outbound demand from the United States. TheCaribbean (+7%) and Central America (+6%) led growth. In North America(+3%), arrival numbers were strong in Canada and Mexico (both +8%),while for the United States indications point to more modest growth. Mostdestinations in South America (+4%) reported sound results, in spite ofBrazil’s outbound travel stalling.

The limited data available for Africa indicates that international touristnumbers were down by 6% with a decline of 10% in arrivals to NorthAfrica and 4% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Alongside the impacts of theterrorist attacks, African destinations have been impacted by theaftermath of the Ebola outbreak in a few West African countries and theslower growth of regional economies depending on the export of oil andother commodities.

International tourist arrivals in the Middle East grew by 5%consolidating the recovery initiated in 2014.

(Data for Africa and Middle East should be taken with caution as it isbased on limited available data.)

Source markets show mixed results

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In terms of outbound tourism, data for the first quarters of 2015 showsa diverse picture in spending abroad.

Among the emerging markets, China and India both started the yearwith double-digit growth in the first quarter, while expenditure from theRussian Federation and Brazil reflected the slower economic growth inboth markets and the depreciation of the rouble and the real against theUS dollar and the euro.

As for the traditional advanced economy source markets, demand fromthe United States, France, Sweden and Spain remains strong, while it isweaker in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada.

Useful links:UNWTO World Tourism BarometerUNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 31 August 2015PR No. 15056

UNWTO General Assembly to meet in Medellín, Colombia

Tourism’s ability to foster inclusive development and socialtransformation will be the focus of the upcoming 21st Session of theUNWTO General Assembly meeting in Medellín, Colombia (12-17September 2015).

The Assembly takes places at a most dynamic time for the tourismsector. With five consecutive years of robust growth, tourism has beena major contributor to the economic recovery in many parts of the world,generating foreign earnings, employment and investment. In 2014, despiteseveral challenges, international tourism reached new records with 1,133million tourists travelling the world and contributing US$ 1.5 trillion inexports.

Colombia is hosting the UNWTO General Assembly for the second time,following the 2007 UNWTO General Assembly in Cartagena de Indias. Theevent is expected to gather over 800 delegates from UNWTO MemberStates, the private sector and academia.

“I trust that Colombia and Medellín will provide us a unique platformto share our insights on the important transformations shaping thetourism sector, step up response to our most pressing challenges andleverage the immense potential of tourism to be a true instrument forpositive change in the world”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

“Hosting the UNWTO General Assembly for the second time is a unique

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opportunity for Colombia to share with the world its achievement in termsof tourism development and competitiveness: 161 ongoing infrastructureprojects, over 18 thousand entrepreneurs entering the formal economy,413 service providers with quality certification and 1.8 million direct jobsamong others“, said Cecilia Álvarez-Correa, Minister of Commerce,Industry and Tourism of Colombia.

This year´s Assembly also coincides with a defining moment for theinternational community as it prepares to embrace the universalSustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the post-2015 blueprint forsustainable development.

Among the highlights of the Assembly is the joint UNWTO/ICAO High-level Forum on Tourism and Air Transport for Development. The Forumwill focus on how closer cooperation between aviation and tourism canmaximize the impact of both sectors on employment, inclusive growth andsustainable development, in the context of the post-2105 developmentagenda and the coming Climate Summit next December. The Forum withthe participation of all delegates attending will be moderated by theSecretary-General of UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, and the Secretary-General ofthe International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Dr. Fang Liu andcount on the participation of Richard Quest, Anchor of CNN’s QuestMeans Business.

Other special events during the General Assembly include topics suchas tourism as a tool for peace and social inclusion, financing fordevelopment, talent management, gastronomic tourism and shoppingtourism.

Held every two years, the General Assembly is UNWTO’s main statutorymeeting and the most important international gathering of senior tourismofficials and high-level representatives of the private sector.

For more information, please visit the official websiteshttp://www.unwtoga2015.org (available in English and Spanish)http://lmd.unwto.org/event/general-assembly-twenty-first-session

Useful links:UNWTO General Assembly: Side Events (available in English)

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 26 August 2015PR No. 15055

East African countries commit to advance regional tourismcooperation

The first UNWTO East Africa Tourism Development Forum broughttogether Tourism Ministers and representatives from East Africa and theVanilla Islands to explore areas of further regional cooperation (Mombasa,Kenya, 20-22 August 2015).

In an effort to unlock the tourism potential of East Africa, thefirst UNWTO East Africa Tourism Development Forum gathered regionaltourism leaders and stakeholders to identify opportunities to maximizesustainable tourism development through regional collaboration.

Opening the Forum, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,William Samoei Ruto, said “Tourism is a critical component of the EastAfrican economy and an important part of our common destiny. Ourbiggest challenge is to work together to improve every aspect of theexperience we offer to our visitors, from their arrival at the airport, theirmovement within and across our countries, the accommodation andfacilities that we offer, and the affordability across all income brackets. Weare better, stronger and more attractive together than individually. ThisForum presents an opportunity to compare notes on our experiences,programmes and aspirations in the development of tourism in our region”.

“UNWTO maintains great confidence in the East African Community´sability to position itself as a leading tourism destination, by delivering onecompelling, highly competitive offering. In this context, I wish to welcomethe recent introduction of the East Africa Tourist Visa, which allows travelbetween Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, boosting regional tourism andcreating opportunities for tourists to explore the diversity of multipledestinations in the region,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Phyllis Kandie, Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerceand Tourism, Kenya said: “By pulling and working together to addressissues of competitiveness, positioning our destination globally andresponding to environmental challenges, we can ensure that East Africanand indeed the whole African continent gets its fair share of touristarrivals. Most importantly, we need to remember that we are notcompetitors. We are one people with a common destiny. Let us rise up tothis challenge.”

Alongside Mrs. Kandie, the African Tourism Ministers of Seychelles,Sudan and Uganda, as well as senior officials from the Ministry ofTourism of Tanzania also participated in the Forum. They were joined byhigh-level representatives for the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), theEast Africa Community (EAC), the International Air transport Association(IATA), and Kenya Airways. Forum participants stressed the need to putin place joint institutional frameworks and policy measures to spur

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further tourism growth throughout East Africa, including establishinga positive narrative of East-Africa as a destination, and developingregional policies in the areas of marketing and promotion, productdevelopment and travel facilitation (visa facilitation and connectivity).

In a Ministerial meeting held on the occasion of the Forum, a futurecommon East African Tourism Agenda was outlined. The Agenda willinclude agreements on regional priorities and concrete actions forcooperation. The Ministers also agreed to work towards furthermainstreaming tourism in the agenda of the African Union stressing thatthe sector can make a key contribution to the peace and developmentobjectives of Africa.

In 2014, Africa welcomed 56 million international tourists representingan increase of 2% compared to 2013 and generating US$ 34 billion inexports (7% of total exports in Africa). The next 20 years show clear signsof continued tourism growth for the continent. According to UNWTOforecasts, Africa will receive 134 million tourists by 2030.

Useful links:UNWTO Regional Programme for AfricaUNWTO East Africa Tourism Development Forum

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 20 August 2015PR No. 15054

Brand Africa – partnerships key to build brand equity forAfrica

The UNWTO Regional Conference on Enhancing Brand Africa –Fostering Tourism Development concluded with a call for strongerregional cooperation and increased partnerships as means to builda stronger brand value for Africa (Accra, Ghana 17-19 August 2015).

Hosted by the Government of Ghana, the Conference was opened bythe President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, who emphasized theimportance Africa places on the potential of tourism to accelerate thedevelopment of its economies. “Tourism for us in Ghana is a major foreignexchange earner, contributing today 4.7% of our GDP. Through a numberof strategies, Ghana has achieved the target of 1 million tourist arrivals,and we are working to improve on the arrivals and revenue from tourism.Tourism currently stands as the 4th largest contributor of revenue to thenational economy after cocoa, gold and oil and gas”, he said.

Addressing the issue of the region´s image, President Mahama stressed

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the need to change perceptions and be innovative in telling the story ofAfrica “We must change the negative perception that has been built overthe years. Africa is not one country, it is 54 different countries. Africa isthe fastest growing continent in terms of population. Six African countriesare among the top ten fastest growing economies of the world. There aremore mobile subscribers in Africa than Europe and America combined.And there are many more unique selling points of this continent that wecan package for the world. If we package Africa, the international mediawill respond”, he added.

“It is a tragedy that many of the positive stories of Africa are oftenhidden from the headlines. Rarely do we ever hear news about Africa´sfastest growing economies, its medical breakthroughs or how newtechnologies are transforming its industries and societies. This absenceleaves a wide hole in the full story of Africa. To not tell this full story is toflatten our perspective of Africa´s reality” said UNWTO Secretary-Generalopening the Conference, alongside President Mahama, the Minister ofTourism, Culture and Creative Arts of Ghana, Ms. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjareand the Mayor of Accra, Mr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.

Zain Asher, anchor of CNN International’s ‘Newsroom’ and ‘CNNMarketplace Africa’, recalled that half of the international tourists visitingAfrica come from Africa and that Africa needs to “own its own story”.Conclusions from the Conference include the need for African destinationsto:1. ‘Own their narrative’;2. Engage civil society, particularly women and youth, in communicating

‘new messages’;3. Embrace technology and social media (the campaign

#theAfricatheMediaNeverShowsYou was shared as an example);4. Build 54 strong country brands as the pillar of Brand Africa;5. Enhance regional cooperation in areas such as visas and air

connectivity;6. Build partnerships with media, civil society and the private sector

acknowledging the new role of destination marketing organizations as‘facilitators’ of people’s stories;

7. Invest in crisis preparedness in the area of communication;8. Advance capacity building in communications and marketing.

Participating in the meeting were the Ministers of Tourism of BurkinaFaso, Cameroon, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Ghana, the representative ofthe African Union (AU), and public and private sector representatives fromover 40 countries.

On the occasion, President Mahama was presented with theUNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism, which aims to rallythe support of Heads of State and Government from around the world toadvance the contribution that the sector can make to socio-economicdevelopment. Since it was launched in 2011, the Open Letter has beenpresented to 74 Heads of State and Government.

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The conclusions of the Conference, which was supported by partnersCNN International and Ethiopian Airlines, will be communicated to the57th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa gathering AfricanTourism Ministers at the 21st UNWTO General Assembly taking place inColombia between 14-17 September.

Useful links:UNWTO Regional Conference Enhancing Brand Africa - Fostering TourismDevelopmentUNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 19 August 2015PR No. 15053

UNWTO strongly condemns attack in Bangkok

UNWTO is deeply saddened and shocked by the attack in Bangkok,Thailand. On the behalf of the global tourism community, UNWTO offersits heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims andreiterates its full support to the people and the Government of Thailand.

“These are direct attacks on the livelihood of the Thai people and theireconomy which is strongly linked with tourism. We stand by theGovernment and the people of Thailand in supporting its tourism sectoras a vital pillar of the wellbeing of Thai people”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“Terrorism is a global threat impacting our societies, taking the lives ofinnocent people around the world and aiming to destroy our economiesand our way of life. Thailand has a long tradition of being a hospitableand welcoming country and we fully believe it will continue to be so”, headded.

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 10 August 2015PR No. 15051

UNWTO Conference to explore new ways to promote Brand Africa

The UNWTO Regional Conference Enhancing Brand Africa - FosteringTourism Development will bring together a wide variety of African tourismstakeholders to explore how build a stronger brand for Africa as a tourismdestination (Accra, Ghana, 17-19 August 2015).

Tourism is one of Africa’s most promising economic sectors, but thesector’s capacity to fully contribute to inclusive and sustainabledevelopment across the continent is often hindered by negative perceptionsand the generalization of crises situations in specific locations. At the sametime, the numerous positive stories from Africa remain untold to a globalaudience, further impeding positive perceptions of the region.

Against this backdrop, the upcoming UNWTO conference EnhancingBrand Africa - Fostering Tourism Developmentwill bring together a widerange of public and private-sector stakeholders in tourism, media andcommunications, and other related fields to:� Analyze the situation of Brand Africa and its impact on tourism in the

region� Identify the key challenges facing Brand Africa and that of African

countries� Exchange national experiences on country branding and tourism

branding� Explore how African destinations can successfully build a strong brand

in an increasingly competitive marketplace and a constantly changingbusiness environment

� Create synergies among African countries towards greater cooperationin the promotion and positioning of a common African Tourism BrandThe Conference will be opened by H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama,

President of the Republic of Ghana.Among the confirmed speakers to gather in Accra, Ghana, are the

Ministers of Tourism of Ghana, Cameroon, Namibia, Seychelles andZimbabwe; the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebre Mariam; andZain Asher from CNN International, the media partner of the Conference,who will deliver a key note speech on “What is Brand Africa?”.

Useful links:UNWTO Briefing Paper: Towards Measuring the Economic Value of WildlifeWatching Tourism in AfricaUNWTO Regional Programme for Africa

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 5 August 2015PR No. 15050

UNWTO welcomes China’s decision to make tourism a tool tofight poverty

UNWTO welcomes the recent decision of the China National TourismAdministration (CNTA) and the State Council Leading Group Office ofPoverty Alleviation and Development of China to promote rural tourism asan effective means to fight poverty.

In a recent meeting with Chinese tourism authorities, UNWTOSecretary-General, Taleb Rifai, welcomed China’s continued recognition oftourism as an effective development tool as well as its special focus onrural tourism. “Tourism is well positioned to contribute to ruraldevelopment as it is a labour-intensive sector providing a wide range of joband entrepreneurship opportunities in areas where other economicactivities are often limited or in decay. Furthermore, tourism providesthese opportunities locally, helping to curb rural migration”, said Mr. Rifai.

Data from Chinese tourism authorities show that between 2011 and2014, more than 10 million people, or 10% of the poverty-strickenpopulation, were lifted out of poverty through tourism. In view of thisimpact, Chinese authorities are launching, within China’s 13th Five-YearPlan Period, a nationwide tourism development plan to lift 17% of thecountry’s impoverished population out of poverty by 2020.

CNTA and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviationand Development of China expect that by 2020, three million ruraltourism businesses will be receiving two billion annual visitors, lifting twomillion of China’s rural population out of poverty every year. The totalincome generated is estimated to reach over one trillion RMBYuan benefiting 50 million rural residents.

Despite its wide-reaching socio-economic impacts, and having beenidentified by half of the world´s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) asa priority instrument for poverty reduction, tourism still receives limitedattention as a tool for development. Against this backdrop, UNWTOrecently called for higher financing for tourism in development in tourismon the occasion of the Third International Conference on Financing forDevelopment:

“2015 is the year for action. As we move forward to adopt a newsustainable development agenda, we have a unique opportunity to raisethe level of assistance in tourism to further harness its vast potential forstimulating green growth and inclusive development worldwide,particularly for the countries most in need”, urged Mr. Rifai.

Maximizing tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction is one ofUNWTO priorities and main areas of work. In addition, the UNWTOSustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Initiative supports

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tourism activities that specifically deliver development and create jobs forpeople living on less than a dollar a day.

Useful links:UNWTO Regional Programme for Asia and the PacificUNWTO Technical Cooperation and Services ProgrammeSustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP)Press release: UNWTO calls for higher financing for tourism in developmentcooperationDownload and share: Tourism - Driving Trade, Fostering Development andConnecting People

Contact:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 15 July 2015PR No. 15049

UNWTO calls for higher financing for tourism in developmentcooperation

Despite its wide-reaching socio-economic impacts, tourism still receiveslimited attention as a tool for development.On the occasion of the ThirdInternational Conference on Financing for Development (Addis Ababa,Ethiopia, 13-16 July), UNWTO calls for higher support for tourism ininternational financing for development flows to maximize the sector´scontribution to sustainable development across the globe.

Tourism’s underrepresentation in international financing fordevelopment flows remains a critical hurdle to overcome in order to fullydeploy its development potential. Despite being a high impact economicactivity, a major job generator and key export sector accounting for 6% oftotal world trade, tourism receives only 0.78% of the total Aid for Trade(AfT) disbursements and a mere 0.097% of the total Official DevelopmentAssistance (ODA)[1].

As world leaders gather at the Third International Conference onFinancing for Development, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifairecalled that tourism has been identified by half of the world´s LeastDeveloped Countries (LDCs) as a priority instrument for povertyreduction.

“For an increasing number of developing countries tourism means jobs,poverty eradication, community development, and the protection ofnatural and cultural heritage. Yet, in order to maximize tourism’scontribution to the development objectives, it is critical to address thedisparity between the sector´s capacity to foster development and the low

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priority it has been given so far in terms of financial support in thedevelopment cooperation agenda”, said Mr. Rifai.

Tourism’s cross-cutting nature and multiple links to other economicsectors positions it as an effective multiplier in global developmentstrategies as tourism often provides one of the few competitive options fordeveloping countries to take part in the global economy. The sector iscrucial for LDCs – in 2013, the 49 LDC countries received 24 millioninternational overnight visitors and earned US$ 18 billion frominternational tourism. This represented 8% of total exports of goods andservices of LDCs, and 12% for the non-oil exporters among them. Tourismwas in fact one of the main contributors behind the graduation ofBotswana, The Maldives and Cabo Verde from their previous LDC status.

“2015 is the year for action. As we move forward to adopt a newsustainable development agenda, we have a unique opportunity to raisethe level of assistance in tourism to further harness its vast potential forstimulating green growth and inclusive development worldwide,particularly for the countries most in need”, concluded Mr. Rifai.

Over recent years, tourism’s ability and potential to drive sustainabledevelopment has been increasingly recognized – tourism is identified byhalf of the world´s LDCs as a priority instrument for poverty reductionand is one of the six initial programmes of the 10-Year Framework ofProgrammes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns(10YFP) designed to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumptionand production worldwide – yet the levels of financing for development intourism are still comparatively low.

In 2014, emerging and developing countries received 513 millioninternational tourists or 45% of all international tourist arrivals in theworld as compared to 38% in 2000. UNWTO forecasts this share tosurpass that of advanced economies in the coming years and to reach57% by 2030.

Useful links:Download and share: Tourism – Driving Trade, Fostering Development andConnecting PeopleUNWTO/European Commission Directorate-General Development andCooperation Guidebook “Sustainable Tourism for Development” (available inEnglish and French)Third International Conference on Financing for DevelopmentInfographic: Why tourism mattersPress release: Tourism identified as key sector for high impact in Aid for TradePress release: UNWTO calls for increased support for tourism in the developmentagenda

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 9 July 2015PR No. 15048

International tourist arrivals up 4% in the first four monthsof 2015

International tourism demand continued to be robust between Januaryand April 2015 with tourist arrivals increasing 4% worldwide according tothe latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Almost all regions enjoyedstrong growth. Prospects for the May-August period remain upbeat, withclose to 500 million tourists expected to travel abroad during these fourmonths.

Destinations worldwide received some 332 million international tourists(overnight visitors) between January and April 2015, 16 million more thanthe same period last year, corresponding to an increase of 4%.

This result follows an increase of 4.3% in 2014 and consolidates theupwards trend of international tourism in recent years (+4.5%international tourist arrivals a year on average since 2010).

By region, the Americas (+6%) led growth, followed by Europe, Asia andthe Pacific and the Middle East, all recording 4% to 5% more arrivals. Bysubregion, Oceania and South America boasted the strongest increase(both +8%), followed by the Caribbean and Central and Eastern Europe(both +7%), the latter rebounding from last year’s decline. In Africa, demandweakened in 2014 after years of solid growth, affected mainly by the Ebolaoutbreak among other challenges. Limited data currently available forJanuary-April 2015 points to a 6% decline, as African destinations struggleto recover from the misperceptions affecting the continent.

“It is encouraging to see the tourism sector consolidating its excellentresults despite security concerns and unrest in many parts of our world”,said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “This underscores thattourism is a surprisingly resilient economic sector which increasinglycontributes to development in many countries around the globe. Fornational governments, it is a reminder that tourism can be part of thesolution to foster socio-economic development and job creation”, headded.

Strong results across many destinations with a rebound in Central andEastern Europe

In the Americas (+6%) all four subregions continued to enjoy significantgrowth in January-April 2015, led by South America (+8%) and theCaribbean (+7%). Strong outbound demand from the United States fuelledresults as 20 million US tourists travelled abroad through April, 7% morethan during the same period last year.

Asia and the Pacific (+4%) consolidated its growth of recent years, withOceania (+8%) and North-East Asia (+5%) in the lead. South-East Asia(+3%) recorded moderate results this four-month period as the reboundin Thailand (+25%) was offset by declines in other destinations.

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Europe, the world’s most visited region, enjoyed continued strengthwith international tourist arrivals growing by 5% through April. Arrivalsin Central and Eastern Europe increased by 7%, rebounding on the poorresults of 2014 following the conflict in Ukraine and the slowdown of theRussian economy. Southern Mediterranean Europe (+5%) maintainedstrong growth, though for many destinations these are low seasonmonths. Western Europe and Northern Europe both enjoyed a solid 4%increase in arrivals, partly due to good results in traditional winter sportsdestinations.

International tourist arrivals in the Middle East are estimated to be upby 4% through April, further continuing the region’s recovery whichstarted in 2014 after three consecutive years of declines. Africa’sinternational tourist numbers, on the other hand, declined by anestimated 6% as a consequence of the decrease in arrivals to North Africa(-7%) as well as to sub-Saharan Africa (-5%). Figures for both Africa andthe Middle East should be read with caution, as they are based on limitedavailable data for these regions.

“The Ebola crisis in West Africa and the security concerns are seriouschallenges for Africa’s tourism and for the international community asa whole. We must work together in managing and overcoming thesechallenges and in supporting destinations for a prompt recovery. It isimportant to remember that tourism is the lifeline of many communitiesaround the world and that we face today a global threat that affects all oursocieties”, said Mr. Rifai.

Optimistic prospects for the coming monthsClose to 500 million tourists are estimated to travel abroad between

May and August 2015, the Northern Hemisphere holiday peak season,a total that accounts for some 41% of all international tourist arrivalsregistered in a year.

According to the latest results of the UNWTO Tourism ConfidenceIndex, prospects for this period continue to be bullish and are the highestfor this period since the pre-crisis year 2007. The sentiment is positiveamong all regions and areas of activity.

Business intelligence tool ForwardKeys also shows healthy growth ininternational air travel reservations for May-August 2015. Overallbookings are up 5% thanks to strong demand for domestic air travel (+7%)and continued growth in international travel (+4%). By region, airreservations increased most in Asia and the Pacific, the Americas andEurope, while reservations to and from Africa and the Middle East areweaker.

According to the forecast issued by UNWTO in January this year,international tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 3% to 4% for thefull year 2015, in line with UNWTO’s long-term forecast of 3.8% a year forthe period 2010 to 2020.

Please note that results presented here reflect preliminary data reportedto date and are subject to revision.

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Relevant links:UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, including excerpt with tables on internationaltourism arrivals per world region for free downloadUNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition (free download)Infographic: International Tourism in 2014 (International Tourist Arrivals andInternational Tourism Receipts) (pdf)Infographic: Why Tourism Matters (pdf)

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 /

Madrid, Spain, 9 July 2015PR No. 15048

International tourist arrivals up 4% in the first four monthsof 2015

International tourism demand continued to be robust between Januaryand April 2015 with tourist arrivals increasing 4% worldwide according tothe latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Almost all regions enjoyedstrong growth. Prospects for the May-August period remain upbeat, withclose to 500 million tourists expected to travel abroad during these fourmonths.

Destinations worldwide received some 332 million international tourists(overnight visitors) between January and April 2015, 16 million more thanthe same period last year, corresponding to an increase of 4%.

This result follows an increase of 4.3% in 2014 and consolidates theupwards trend of international tourism in recent years (+4.5%international tourist arrivals a year on average since 2010).

By region, the Americas (+6%) led growth, followed by Europe, Asiaand the Pacific and the Middle East, all recording 4% to 5% more arrivals.By subregion, Oceania and South America boasted the strongest increase(both +8%), followed by the Caribbean and Central and Eastern Europe(both +7%), the latter rebounding from last year’s decline. In Africa,demand weakened in 2014 after years of solid growth, affected mainly bythe Ebola outbreak among other challenges. Limited data currentlyavailable for January-April 2015 points to a 6% decline, as Africandestinations struggle to recover from the misperceptions affecting thecontinent.

“It is encouraging to see the tourism sector consolidating its excellentresults despite security concerns and unrest in many parts of our world”,said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “This underscores thattourism is a surprisingly resilient economic sector which increasinglycontributes to development in many countries around the globe. For

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national governments, it is a reminder that tourism can be part of thesolution to foster socio-economic development and job creation”, he added.

Strong results across many destinations with a rebound in Central andEastern Europe

In the Americas (+6%) all four subregions continued to enjoy significantgrowth in January-April 2015, led by South America (+8%) and theCaribbean (+7%). Strong outbound demand from the United States fuelledresults as 20 million US tourists travelled abroad through April, 7% morethan during the same period last year.

Asia and the Pacific (+4%) consolidated its growth of recent years, withOceania (+8%) and North-East Asia (+5%) in the lead. South-East Asia(+3%) recorded moderate results this four-month period as the reboundin Thailand (+25%) was offset by declines in other destinations.

Europe, the world’s most visited region, enjoyed continued strengthwith international tourist arrivals growing by 5% through April. Arrivalsin Central and Eastern Europe increased by 7%, rebounding on the poorresults of 2014 following the conflict in Ukraine and the slowdown of theRussian economy. Southern Mediterranean Europe (+5%) maintainedstrong growth, though for many destinations these are low seasonmonths. Western Europe and Northern Europe both enjoyed a solid 4%increase in arrivals, partly due to good results in traditional winter sportsdestinations.

International tourist arrivals in the Middle East are estimated to be upby 4% through April, further continuing the region’s recovery whichstarted in 2014 after three consecutive years of declines. Africa’sinternational tourist numbers, on the other hand, declined by anestimated 6% as a consequence of the decrease in arrivals to North Africa(-7%) as well as to sub-Saharan Africa (-5%). Figures for both Africa andthe Middle East should be read with caution, as they are based on limitedavailable data for these regions.

“The Ebola crisis in West Africa and the security concerns are seriouschallenges for Africa’s tourism and for the international community asa whole. We must work together in managing and overcoming thesechallenges and in supporting destinations for a prompt recovery. It isimportant to remember that tourism is the lifeline of many communitiesaround the world and that we face today a global threat that affects all oursocieties”, said Mr. Rifai.

Optimistic prospects for the coming monthsClose to 500 million tourists are estimated to travel abroad between

May and August 2015, the Northern Hemisphere holiday peak season,a total that accounts for some 41% of all international tourist arrivalsregistered in a year.

According to the latest results of the UNWTO Tourism ConfidenceIndex, prospects for this period continue to be bullish and are the highestfor this period since the pre-crisis year 2007. The sentiment is positiveamong all regions and areas of activity.

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Business intelligence tool ForwardKeys also shows healthy growth ininternational air travel reservations for May-August 2015. Overallbookings are up 5% thanks to strong demand for domestic air travel (+7%)and continued growth in international travel (+4%). By region, airreservations increased most in Asia and the Pacific, the Americas andEurope, while reservations to and from Africa and the Middle East areweaker.

According to the forecast issued by UNWTO in January this year,international tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 3% to 4% for thefull year 2015, in line with UNWTO’s long-term forecast of 3.8% a year forthe period 2010 to 2020.

Please note that results presented here reflect preliminary data reportedto date and are subject to revision.

Relevant links:UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, including excerpt with tables on internationaltourism arrivals per world region for free downloadUNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition (free download)Infographic: International Tourism in 2014 (International Tourist Arrivals andInternational Tourism Receipts) (pdf)Infographic: Why Tourism Matters (pdf)

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 /

Madrid, Spain, 7 July 2015PR No. 15046

UNWTO and Amadeus join forces to strengthen technologyin tourism

Amadeus, a leading provider of technology solutions for the tourismsector, and UNWTO are joining forces to advance the use of innovativetechnology in tourism in areas such as education and multi-modality.

UNWTO and Amadeus, a UNWTO Affiliate Member since 2007, havesigned a Memorandum of Understanding to consolidate their partnershipin several areas. This includes the development of a UNWTO Prototype onmulti-modality – the door-to-door planning and ticketing of trips involvingall possible transport options – to further integrate different means oftransport between destinations around the world.

“Innovative technological solutions are fundamental for the tourismsector’s competitiveness and ability to create jobs and inclusivedevelopment worldwide. UNWTO is looking forward to working even closerwith Amadeus, a highly valued Affiliate Member and key player in this

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field, to strengthen the ties between tourism and technology”, saidUNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

”It gives me great satisfaction to strengthen our relationship and buildupon our respective areas of expertise: technology and tourism. Amadeus iscommitted to strengthening the sustainability of the travel and tourism sectorand already has many initiatives in two of the key agreed priorities, tourismeducation and innovation in technology. We look forward to amplifying thesethrough the network of UNWTO affiliates and its events to shape the futureof travel”, commented Tomás López Fernebrand, Senior Vice President,General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Amadeus IT Group.

UNWTO and Amadeus will also collaborate on issues of sustainability,Corporate Social Responsibility and education through the participationof Amadeus in the UNWTO Talent Development in Tourism pilot projectand in various UNWTO capacity building initiatives.Useful links:UNWTO Affiliate MembersAmadeus Corporate Social ResponsibilityAmadeus video on multi-modality

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218AMADEUSRoman Townsend, Global Corporate Communication Manager+34 616 318 037

Madrid, Spain, 7 July 2015PR No. 15045

UNWTO strengthens ties with its Affiliate Members

UNWTO signed this week new Memoranda of Understanding (MoU’s)with five of its Affiliate Members – the Real Academia de Gastronomía(Spain), Spain Cares (Spain), Student Marketing (Slovakia), theUniversidad Internacional de la Rioja (Spain), and VIP World Events(Spain) (Madrid, Spain, 6-7 July 2015).

The MoU’s aim to enhance collaboration between UNWTO and therespective Affiliate Member in the areas of research and the promotionof best practices. In particular, the future cooperation activitiesinclude:- Real Academia de Gastronomía: Development of gastronomic tourism

and collaboration with the UNWTO Gastronomy Network.- Spain Cares: Research on health tourism, including collaboration in

the publication of a Global Report on health tourism and public-privatecollaboration in specialized segments.

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- Student Marketing: Cooperation in the publication of a Global Reporton Youth Tourism.

- Universidad Internacional de la Rioja: Research, knowledge exchangeand promotion of best practices, namely on wine tourism, participationin the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the UNWTO Gastronomy Networkand Working Group on Youth Tourism

- VIP World Events: Research on the high end segments of tourism.“Partnerships are a priority for UNWTO and we are very pleased to

consolidate our relationships with such active UNWTO Affiliate Membersthrough these agreements” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifaihighlighting that “cooperation between public, private sector and theacademia are fundamental pillars to advance knowledge andcompetitiveness in our sector”.

In a structure unique to the United Nations system, in addition to its156 Member States, UNWTO counts on over 450 Affiliate Members fromvarious fields in the public and private sector, civil society and academia.

Useful links:UNWTO Affiliate Members

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 29 June 2015PR No. 15042

UNWTO and the Turkic Council to work together on tourismdevelopment

UNWTO and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (TurkicCouncil) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthencollaboration in advancing tourism as a key driver of socio-economicgrowth and inclusive development (Madrid, Spain, 26 June 2015).

The MoU will enhance the cooperation between UNWTO and theTurkic Council in areas such as cultural tourism, including thedevelopment of the Silk Road, as a means to increase thecompetitiveness and diversification of the sector in the Member States ofboth Organizations.

The agreement was signed by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifaiand the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic SpeakingStates, Ambassador Mr. Ramil Hasanov, at the UNWTO Headquarters inMadrid, in the presence of the representatives of the Embassies ofAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkey to Spain.

“This MoU comes to reinforce the strong relationship we have with the

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Turkic Council”, said Mr. Rifai on the occasion. ”The Turkic CouncilMember States are valued Members of UNWTO, and I am confident thatby joining forces we will be better able to harness tourism’s full potentialas a key driver of jobs and inclusive development in our Member States”.

Ambassador Hasanov noted that “with the signing of the MoU betweenthe two organizations, a joint and staunch step has been taken tocontribute to developing the tourism sector along the traditional Silk Road,and that the Turkic Council is ready to organize joint events with theUNWTO to further this cooperation”. He added that “the Turkic Council isworking hard to finalize the Turkic Council-Modern Silk Road Joint TourPackage which will provide a unique opportunity for curious travellers.”

The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) isan intergovernmental organization established in 2009 with the signingof Nakhchivan Agreement by the Heads of States of its Member States:Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. As a new regionalcooperation mechanism, it involves a wide range of areas from economyto transport, from sustainable development to education and from mediato tourism with a view to accelerating cooperation, not only among itsMember States, but also in the region. After the Fourth Turkic CouncilSummit at the level of Heads of State, hosted by Turkey on 5 June 2014in Bodrum, on the theme of cooperation in tourism, the Council hasincreased its efforts to promote the tourism potential of its Member Stateswhile boosting regional collaboration in the tourism sector.

Useful links:UNWTO Regional Programme for EuropeUNWTO Silk Road ProgrammeThe Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking StatesPhotos of the signing of the MoU

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Turkic Council:Tel: +90 212 283 16 44 (pbx)/ Fax: +90 212 283 16 86

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Madrid, Spain, 26 June 2015PR No. 15043

UNWTO strongly condemns attack in Sousse, Tunisia

“Today our societies were attacked in three different continents showingthat we face a truly global threat” said UNWTO Secretary-General, TalebRifai, strongly condemning the attacks in the Tunisian city of Sousse, inLyon, France and in Kuwait city.

On the behalf of the global tourism community, UNWTO conveys itsheartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims andreiterates its full support, particularly to the people and the Governmentof Tunisia, who have been long fighting strongly against these forces andrestore confidence in its important tourism sector.

“These attacks are direct attacks to the livelihood of the Tunisian people.Tourism is a lifeline for the economy of the country and we stand by theGovernment and the people of Tunisia in continuing to support the recoveryof this vital sector to the future and wellbeing of Tunisians”, he added.

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

Madrid, Spain, 25 June 2015PR No. 15041

Silk Road Tourism Ministers commit to travel facilitationand closer marketing cooperation

The 7th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism agreed toadvance travel facilitation, promote a “Visit the Silk Road” Programme andstep up efforts to develop tourism routes and enhance human resources.(Xi’an, China 18-20 June 2015).

Jointly organized by UNWTO, the China National TourismAdministration (CNTA) and the People’s Government of the ShaanxiProvince, the 7th International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism held in theancient Silk Road capital of Xi’an addressed key topics such as capacitybuilding, marketing and promotion, heritage management and travelfacilitation as a means to building an integrated tourism market along theland and maritime Silk Roads.

“Closer tourism cooperation is of great significance to the economic andsocial development of the countries along the Silk Road as well as to peaceand stability in the region,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai,while highlighting the way forward on the promotion of the Silk RoadTourism.

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“It is now 21 years since 19 countries gathered in Uzbekistan andadopted the Samarkand Declaration on Silk Road Tourism, which calledfor ‘a peaceful and fruitful rebirth of these legendary routes. We have comea long way over the years, yet we still need to address a number ofchallenges that continue to hamper a stronger tourism growth on the SilkRoad namely visa facilitation, and connectivity” he added.

“Tourism is a window for opening-up an engine of development anda bond of peace,” said Li Jinzao, Chairman of China National TourismAdministration. “Let’s work together to champion the spirit of the SilkRoad in this new era and create a bright future. The number of exchangesbetween China and other Silk Road countries has already exceeded 30million” he added.

Tourism ministers and representatives participating in the meetingagreed to improve travel facilitation, conduct joint marketing activities,including a ‘Visit the Silk Road’ programme, deepen regional cooperation,expand the supply of tourism products by developing tourism routes andstrengthen cooperation among tourism colleges and research institutions.

Participating in the meeting were Tourism Ministers and TourismBoard representatives from more than thirty countries, as well asrepresentatives from UNESCO, BBC Worldwide, University CollegeLondon, TripAdvisor, Ctrip, Hainan Airlines, Finnair and the WorldIndigenous Tourism Alliance.

On the occasion, the 1st Tourism Ministerial Meeting of Countries alongthe Silk Road Economic Belt, hosted by the China National TourismAdministration (CNTA) in collaboration with UNWTO, gathered theMinisters and Vice Ministers of Tourism of nearly 20 countries to discussopportunities for tourism development along the Silk Road Economic Belt.The Meeting approved the Xi’an Initiative, a document setting the pathfor stronger tourism development in the framework of the Silk RoadEconomic Belt.

Useful links:7th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism and 1st TourismMinisterial Meeting on the Silk Road Economic BeltUNWTO Silk Road Programme

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 5 June 2015PR No. 15038

Message by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifaion theoccasion of World Environment Day 2015

More than one billion tourists travel across international borders eachyear, many of whom are inspired to see our planet´s natural wonders –from majestic landscapes and pristine coastlines, to the rich biodiversityof our lands and our seas.

As one of tourism´s greatest assets, our natural heritage enlivens theglobal tourism sector, providing a source of livelihood and inclusivedevelopment for millions of people worldwide.

Yet our natural resources and biodiversity face unprecedentedenvironmental challenges. Unrestrained consumption and productionover the past decades have directly impacted our natural environment,placing fragile ecosystems, endangered species and natural habitats atrisk, often times with irreversible consequences. Looming over all of thesechallenges is the global threat of climate change.

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2015, we are reminded ofour immense responsibility to protect our environment in light of thechoices we make.

One billion tourists are one billion opportunities for accelerating theshift. Though small actions may seem inconsequential, just imagine thewidespread impact of one responsible action multiplied one billion times.One billion tourists can indeed become one billion global stewards – oneunited, global force protecting the future of our planet and all people.

Protecting our environment is a responsibility we all share. The morewe travel the world, the more we become aware of our planet´sinexhaustible wonder, calling us to do our part in preserving our commonheritage.

On World Environment Day, I would like to join the internationalcommunity and invite all tourists to make their actions count whiletravelling. Together we can shoulder the great responsibility of consumingwith care.

Useful links:World Environment Day websiteUNWTO Sustainable Development of Tourism ProgrammeMessage by UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai (PDF version)

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Brussels, Belgium/ Madrid, Spain, 3 June 2015PR No. 15037

The European Travel Commission and the World TourismOrganization to unveil the secrets to success in the meetingindustry

The European Travel Commission and the World Tourism Organizationto unveil the secrets to success in the meeting industry

The European Travel Commission (ETC) together with the WorldTourism Organization (UNWTO) and with support from VisitFlanders, willpresent the key criteria that influence the choice of a destination bymeeting planners at the International Seminar on The Decision-MakingProcess of Meetings, Congresses, Conventions and Incentives Organisers,taking place 11-12 June in Antwerp (Belgium).

Tourism for business and professional reasons is one of the fastestgrowing segments in the tourism sector and the second main purpose fortravel after leisure, recreation and holidays. The meetings industry isgaining significant recognition among countries and cities alike as it posesa significant opportunity to spur revenue growth for tourism destinations.Competition is becoming fierce as new destinations enter the market, andthe European tourism sector is thus called to understand meetingplanners’ needs and expectations.

At this two-day ETC-UNWTO international seminar, leading meetingindustry experts including Martin Sirk, CEO of the International Congressand Convention Association (ICCA), and Tom Hulton, Director ofInternational Relations of the IMEX Group, will unveil the key criteria thatinfluence meeting organiser’s choice of a destination and address theeconomic and social impacts of meetings and events. Bruce Redor fromGaining Edge will provide a strategic overview of the meeting industry andoutline trends and detailed findings from the forthcoming ETC-UNWTOstudy on the Decision-Making Process of Meetings, Congresses,Conventions and Incentives Organisers. The seminar will also providetourism professionals and destination managers with a unique platformfor exchanging best-practice examples of a successful MCCI destination.

Note to editors:The European Travel Commission is an association of National TourismOrganisations (NTOs). It was created in 1948 to promote Europe as a touristdestination to the long-haul markets outside of Europe, originally in the USA andlater in Canada, Latin America and Asia. It currently has 33 member NTOs,including 8 from outside the European Union.Europe is the world’s no. 1 tourist destination with 588 million internationalarrivals in 2014 and more than 50% of the market share of worldwide tourism

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Useful links:Further details on the seminar programme and registrationsDownload the UNWTO Global Report on the Meetings IndustryETC’s corporate websiteETC’s consumer portal

Contacts:ETC Executive UnitTel: (+32) 2 548 9000 / Fax: +32 2 514 1843

UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Madrid, Spain, 28 May 2015PR No. 15036

World Committee on Tourism Ethics proposes InternationalConvention on Tourism Ethics

The transformation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism into aninternational convention was the main focus of the 15th meeting of theWorld Committee on Tourism Ethics (Rovinj, Croatia, 26-27 May 2015).

The transformation of the Global Code of Ethics into a full internationalconvention as a means to boost the responsibility of governments in thisfield and advance the impact of the Code was the main topic discussed atthe 15th meeting of the WTCE.

Alongside this issue, the WCTE looked into the level of implementationof the Code by public and private sectors as well as at the advances on itspriority areas: the fight against child exploitation, accessibility, allinclusive holidays and its impact on local communities, and the issue ofunfunded ratings in web portals.

Pascal Lamy, WCTE Chairman and former Director General of theWorld Trade Organization, highlighted “the importance of theimplementation of the principles of the Code of Ethics by both UNWTOMember States and the Private Sector in order to promote an ethical andresponsible tourism development.”

“The World Committee on Tourism Ethics has done invaluable work inraising awareness and promoting responsible policies and practices in thetourism sector for over ten years”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, TalebRifai, opening the meeting. “Tourism has immense potential to be a forcefor good, but it requires concrete action from all stakeholders. I thereforefully support the Committee’s proposal to bring the Code further into aninternational convention”, he added.

In the area of children’s rights, Carol Bellamy, chair of the UNWTOWorld Tourism Network on Child Protection and former Director of

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UNICEF, presented a report on child protection in tourism and supportedthe transformation of the Code of Ethics into a convention in order to helpenforce the principles of child protection worldwide.

The Committee approved a set of specific recommendations onaccessible tourist information which will be presented to the 21st sessionof the UNWTO General Assembly (Medellin, Colombia, 12-17 September2015) for adoption. It addition, it noted the wide interest of Governmentsand national tourism administrations in the Code and the growingnumber of companies and associations that have adhered to the PrivateSector Commitment to the Code.

The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) is the independentbody responsible for promoting and overseeing the implementation of theUNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET), a set of principlesdesigned to guide tourism development in a way that maximizes the socio-economic benefits of the sector, while minimizing any negative impacts.

The 16th meeting of the Committee will take place in November 2015.The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is a subsidiary organ of the

UNWTO General Assembly, to which it reports directly. Members areelected in their personal capacities and not as officials of governments orrepresentatives of their countries.

Committee Chairman: Pascal Lamy (Former Director General of theWorld Trade Organization); members: Mr. I Gede Ardika (Former Ministerof Tourism of Indonesia), Mr. Yoshiaki Hompo (Former Commissioner ofJapan Tourism Agency), Ms. Fiona Jeffery (Former Chair of the WorldTravel Market), Mr. Khelil Lajmi (Former Minister of Tourism of Tunisia),Mr. Jean Marc Mignon (President, International Organisation for SocialTourism), Ms. Tanja Mihalic (Head of Institute of Tourism, University ofLjubljana), Mr. Ron Oswald (General Secretary, International Union ofFood, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and AlliedWorkers´ Association), Mr. Eugenio Yunis (Executive Vice President,Federation of Tourism Enterprises of Chile); alternate members: Mr. HiranCooray (Chairman, Jetwing), Ms. Günnür Diker (Secretary-General,Association of Turkish Travel Agents), and Ms. Suzy Hatough (Director ofDar Al-Diafa for Tourism Human Resources Development Consultancy).Useful links:UNWTO Ethics and Social Responsibility ProgrammeWorld Committee on Tourism EthicsUNWTO Global Code of Ethics for TourismUNWTO Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for TourismPhotos of the 100th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council

Contacts:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Madrid, Spain, 27 May 2015PR No. 15035

UNWTO Conference to address quality in Mediterraneandestinations

The ability to offer a high-quality experience is a crucial element fortourism competitiveness in Mediterranean destinations. The 2nd UNWTOConference on Destination Management in the Mediterranean will focuson enhancing the quality of the visitor’s experience through strategictourism partnerships (Budva, Montenegro, 22-24 June 2015).

The Mediterranean is one of the most visited tourism regions in theworld, accounting for one in three international tourist arrivals worldwide,over a quarter of total international tourism receipts, and almost 20% ofthe global cruise market.

The Conference, organized jointly by UNWTO and the Ministry ofSustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro in the popularcoastal destination of Budva, will explore how partnerships can promotequality and product diversification in the Mediterranean.

The Conference will address key issues such as: 1) the positioning ofMediterranean destinations in the global market, 2) product development,diversification and innovation as a means to improve the quality of thevisitor experience, capture a wider range of market niches and minimizeseasonality, 3) cruise and maritime tourism and 4) effective governanceand policy instruments.

Speakers include representatives from the public and private sector fromCroatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Jordan, Spain, Portugal and Turkey.

In 2014, 343 million international tourists visited a Mediterraneandestination. According to UNWTO’s long-term forecast, this number willreach over 500 million in 2030.

Useful links:2nd UNWTO Conference on Destination Management in the MediterraneanUNWTO Destination Management and Quality ProgrammeContact:UNWTO Communications & Publications ProgrammeTel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

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Dijon, France, 2 July 2015PR No. 15034

European Cities Marketing Benchmarking Report 2015confirms the emergence of a strong positive city tourismtrend

A strong positive trend in percentage growth rate for ECM report citieshas emerged again this year, achieving a rate of5.7% in total bednightsand 7.0% in international bednights. Sharp decreases in the number ofbednights contributed by Japan and Russia seem to have been offset bythe strong positive growth trends of the other seven top source markets,with China and Italy each reaching increases of over 12% since 2013.

European cities are still surfing on the wave of success : the UNWTOAnnual Report 2014 affirms that “Europe continues to be the most visitedregion in the world with over half of the world´s international tourists.”Furthermore, the ECM Benchmarking Report 2015 states that over thelast 5 years (2010 2014), bednights in ECM Benchmarking Report citieshave been increasing at a faster rate than of the 28 EU nations with +5.8%, 1.2 points higher than the average growth rate for the 28 EUnations.

Top Performing CitiesThe 2013 top five cities in terms of total bednights held their rankings

in 2014. London, already being the top performing city, showed a robustgrowth rate of 6.1% since the previous year, whereas Berlin had thehighest growth rate among the top 5 cities with 6.5%. Rome andBarcelona followed suit with positive growth rates in 2014, similar to2013. In contrast, Paris managed to maintain its position at number two,despite a negative growth rate for the second year in a row. Madrid,Istanbul, and Amsterdam were the top performers in terms of growth ratewith more than 10% increase over 2013.

While explaining Istanbul’s remarkable growth, Özgül Özkan Yavuz,General Manager at Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau answered:“Istanbul has historically been a great cosmopolitan city at the heart ofculture, and today the number of visitors to the city is growingexponentially as it becomes an ever more popular destination. Being easilyaccessible from around the world plays a big factor in this growth;Istanbul is the only city in the world spanning two continents.”

Top Source MarketsSimilar to 2013 and making up 20% of total bednights in the ECM

Benchmarking Report cities, the US, German, UK and French marketshave grown individually between 4.9% and 9% since 2013. Spain and Italyresumed positive growth rates after continuous decreases in number ofbednights spent in European cities with respectively +7.7% and +12.4%.Not surprisingly, the highest top source market was China, with animpressive growth rate of 14.5% over 2013. Japan kept on its negative

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growth since 2013, though the most marked decrease in bednightsbelonged to Russia. Nonetheless, the Russian source market remainsimportant to ECM Benchmarking Report cities and stands for 3% of totalbednights registered in European cities.

Tourism DensitiesThis new section of the ECM Benchmarking Report examines the

number of bednights a city hosts per citizen. In 2014, the average tourismdensity for the sample of ECM cities was 7.14 bednights per citizen. Thetwo destinations with the highest tourism densities are Funchal andVenice. However, nearly two thirds of the sample (93 cities) revealedtourism densities below average, and about half of the sample showsdensities of between 0.6 and 5 bednights per citizen.

Commenting on the results, Ignasi de Delàs, ECM President said:“These results provide crucial insights into European city competitivenessand competitor sets. The ECM Benchmarking Report clearly shows thatthe continuous success of city tourism in Europe is based upon a richmix of source markets. With an average of 65% of international guests,European cities can cope with negative growth of markets like Russia orJapan, thanks to the recovery of the Spanish and Italian markets. Despiteall economic or political factors, it is proven that the cities’ strategic focuson international visitors is the main reason for the triumph of the cities,which gives City Tourism Managers every reason to be confident in thestrength of the European tourism industry.”

Produced by MODUL University Vienna, the European Cities MarketingBenchmarking Report provides the #1 source of city tourism statistics inEurope. ECM reports twice a year about the current state of the tourismindustry. In March, the organisation provides first preliminary results andtrends about the previous year, in June the ECM Benchmarking Reportis presented containing detailed analyses and benchmarks of the past 5years, as well as the forecast for the current year. For the 11th edition,European Cities Marketing (ECM) presented the ECM BenchmarkingReport 2015 during its Annual Meeting & General Assembly in Turin,Italy. The report not only covers statistics portraying tourism developmentfor 119 European cities but also forms the basis for discussing majortrends and developments in Europe among the member cities. The 11thedition of the European Cities Marketing (ECM) Benchmarking Reportprovides benchmarking insight into bednights, bed capacities as well ascity tourism vs. national tourism analysis. New to the report this year isa breakdown of tourist densities comparing city’s population vs. bednightsin 2014.

The report costs €990 with the full dataset of figures, and is free formembers of European Cities Marketing. The report can be ordered fromwww.europeancitiesmarketing.com. To be up to date with these latestfigures, please get in touch with European Cities Marketing and subscribeto the regular press releases.

European Cities Marketing is a non profit organisation improving the

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competitiveness and performance of leading cities of Europe by providinga platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals toexchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build newbusiness. European Cities Marketing is promoting and linking theinterests of 110 members from more than 100 major cities in 36countries.

Contact informationEuropean Cities Marketing, 29D rue de Talant, F 21000 Dijon. Tel: +33 380 56 0204Flavie Baudot, press@europeancitiesmarketing.com, +33 380 56 02 00Ignasi de Delàs, President, president@europeancitiesmarketing.comwww.europeancitiesmarketing.com

MODUL Research is a subdivision of MODUL University Vienna that aims tobridge the two domains of basic and applied research. MODUL Research engagesin research projects that provide workable solutions to problems that privatefirms, industry associations, groups in civil society, and governmentalorganisations have identified as important.

Contact informationMODUL Research www.modul.ac.at/MUResearchProf. Karl Wöber, President, karl.woeber@modul.ac.at

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Guidelines for Authors

The Journal of Tourism and Services publishes:high quality, reviewed essays and analytical papers in English language with focuson tourism and service industry development;shorter non peer reviewed reviews of existing work or short essays aimed atstimulating debate;research notes to allow researchers to present initial findings and reflections orproblems concerning fieldwork and research in general;industry news.

1. Essays and Analytical Papers

Title of the Paper (14pt Times New Roman, Bold, left justified) in EnglishLanguageLeave 2 blank lines

Author´s name/names (12 pt Times New Roman)University (12 pt Times New Roman)

Abstract in English language Leave 1 blank line

An abstract is a brief summary of the most important points in a scientific paper.It is a highly condensed version of the paper itself. After reading the abstract, thereader knows the main points that the author/authors has/have to make. Thereader can then evaluate the significance of the paper and then decide whether ornot she or he wishes to read the full paper. Please, do not exceed 800 characterssentences. Leave 1 blank line

Key words: maximum 10 words. Leave 2 blank lines

1. Introduction Leave 1 blank line

The heading of each section should be written in 13 pt, bold, Times New Roman,left justified. Please, use numbers 1, 2, … for the sections. For the text of thesection use 12 pt Times New Roman, single spacing. Leave 1 blank line betweenblocks of text.The length of the paper should not exceed 20 pages, 1800 characters per page,justified. Tables, figures, illustrations and references are excluded from the wordcount. Leave 2 blank lines between successive sections and/or subsections.

Subsection Leave 1 blank line

The heading of each subsection should be written in 12 pt, bold, Times NewRoman, left justified. Please, use numbers 1.1, 1.1.1…. for subsections. For thetext of the subsection use 12 pt Times New Roman. Leave 2 blank lines betweensuccessive subsections and/or sub-subsections.

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1.1.1 Sub-subsection Leave 1 blank line

The heading of each sub-subsection should be written in 11 pt, bold, Times NewRoman, left justified. Please, use numbers 1.1, 1.1.1…. for subsections. For thetext of the subsection use 12 pt Times New Roman. Leave 2 blank lines betweensuccessive subsections and/or sub-subsections.

2. Problem Formulation Leave 1 blank line

Graphs and tables should be numbered as follows: Graph 1, Graph 2 etc; Table1, Table 2 etc. The heading of each graph and table should be written in 11 pt,bold, Times New Roman, left justified. The words “Table 1”, “Graph 8” etc. shouldbe on the right. Leave 1 blank line between the heading and the graph or table.Under each graph or table the source must be provided and should be written in10 pt. Leave 1 blank line between the graph or table and the source.Leave 2 blank lines between successive subsections and/or sub-subsections.

3. Problem Solution Leave 1 blank line

When citing references in the text, type corresponding number in square brackets[1].When citing quotations in the text, type the corresponding number in squarebrackets, and the number of the page, where the quotation can be found [1, p. 45].Leave 2 blank lines between successive sections, subsections and/or sub-subsections.

4. Conclusion Leave 1 blank line

Please, follow the instructions carefully, otherwise you will be asked to resubmitthe full paper. Thank you for your collaboration and contribution. Leave 2 blanklines between successive sections, subsections and/or sub-subsections.

5. References Leave 1 blank line

Only material referenced in the text should be cited in the bibliography.

Where there are two authors, both names should be referenced in the text, thusBlack, J., Jones, T.Where there are three or more authors, only the name of the first should appearin the text followed by ‘et al.’, thus Bruce et al.The full list of all author names should appear in the bibliography.[1] Author, Title of the Paper, International Tourism and Hospitality Journal, Vol.x, No. x, 20xx, pp. xx-yy, ISSN xxxxxxxxx[2] Author, Title of the Book, Publishing House, 20xx, ISBN xxxxxxx[3] Author, Title of the Paper, downloaded from http://www.abc.com/xxxxxx/xxxxxx/xxxx (last accessed June 7, 2010)Leave 2 blank lines

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6. Brief description of Author/Authors:

Please, write the Author´s name and titles (in 12 pt, Times New Roman, bold),Department, Faculty, University, Address, Country, University web page, emailaddress of Author. Please, introduce the Author´s position, main field of research,and interest shortly. Please, do not exceed 500 characters.

2. Reviews of Existing Work or Short Essays

Reviews of existing work or short essays aimed at stimulating debate should be ofbetween 1000 to 2000 words. These will be subject to editorial scrutiny and assuch the right, if deemed inappropriate, to not to accept them will be reserved.

3. Research Notes

Research Notes present initial findings and reflections or problems concerningfieldwork and research in general. Research Notes should be between 1000 to2000 words. While not reviewed, these will be subject to editorial review as suchthe right, if deemed inappropriate, to not to accept them will be reserved.

4. Industry News

Industry News are short news or reports of between 250 and 1000 words onany conference attended by writer that readers have found to be of particularinterest from the field of tourism and services. These will be subject to editorialreview as such the right, if deemed inappropriate, to not to accept them will bereserved.

Technical Notes for Authors:

� The paper should be sent to the address of the Editorial Office by email to theaddress: journal.tands@vso-praha.eu or directly to Editor:alzbeta.kiralova@vso-praha.eu

� Please, name the file as follows: author´s surname_title of the paper(White_Tourism Development in Europe)

� To the Subject of the email please write: Journal of Tourism and Services -paper

� Articles should have been proof read and corrected for errors and will beregarded as accurate; authors are responsible for factual content.

� Papers which appear in Journal of Tourism and Services are subject to theusual academic processes of anonymous peer reviewing.

� Papers written by members of the Editorial Board will be refereed byindependent referee.

� Only visual data, images, etc. over which the author(s) have copyright may beused unless permission has been obtained and acknowledged - it is theresponsibility of the authors to obtain such permissions.

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� Simultaneous submissions to other print or electronic journals are notpermitted.

� Author proofreading should be sent back to the Editorial Office in 10 days byemail to the address: journal.tands@vso-praha.eu or to Editor:alzbeta.kiralova@vso-praha.eu

Important Note: Please make sure you remove any figure, tables, websitescreenshots, graphics,..etc., from the paper from any published article unlessyou have a written permission. You need to obtain written permissions fromthe publisher to include any copyrighted material in yourmanuscript. Mentioning only the source with a reference is not enough.

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Journal of Tourism and Services is an international reviewed scientific researchjournal, published by the University College of Business in Prague sinceSeptember 17, 2010 that publishes high quality, reviewed essays and analyticalpapers in English language with focus on tourism and service industrydevelopment. Together with scientific part and in order to promote the exchangeof current and innovative ideas, the Journal also includes Reviews of ExistingWork or Short Essays, Research Notes, and Research and Industry sections toaddress important topics and advance theoretical knowledge or thinking aboutkey areas of tourism and services. The papers are approved by the Editorial Boardand are blind peer reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Each issue will also seekto include shorter non peer reviewed reviews of existing work or short essaysaimed at stimulating debate, research notes to allow researchers to present initialfindings and reflections or problems concerning fieldwork and research in general.The Journal is intended for international professionals, academics and studentsnot only for reading but also as a space for publication and source of informationfor work. The Journal is published twice a year.

The Journal of Tourism & Services is included on EBSCO database calledHospitality & Tourism Complete.The Journal of Tourism & Services is included to the database of theResearch Development and Innovation Council, advisory body to theGovernment of the Czech Republic called "Seznam recenzovanýchneimpaktovaných periodik vydávaných v České republice”.

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ISSN 1804-5650